USF in the news: campus incidents and safety reports—fire at St. Pete lab, student deaths and murder charges linked to dorm killings. USF: public research uni in Tampa with campuses in St. Pete and Sarasota.
Two USF graduate students from Bangladesh, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, disappeared on April 16. Limon’s remains have been found on the Howard Frankland Bridge and his roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Bristy remains missing as investigators continue the search and examination of evidence.
A fire at the University of South Florida’s Marine Science Laboratory has prompted evacuations; no injuries have been reported, and investigators are assessing damage while planning salvage of key research materials.
Multiple murder cases are developing: in Arizona, a suspect has been charged in a dismemberment killing after a May 7 incident; in Florida, a suspect has been indicted for a double homicide involving two University of South Florida students, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.
Florida has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging the ChatGPT tool is unsafe, harms users, and collects data from minors without parental oversight. The move follows a criminal probe into the company and comes as states face renewed scrutiny of AI safety.