Sydney Man Charged After AI Chatbot Shooting Threat

A man from Sydney, Australia, was arrested and charged after he allegedly threatened to shoot children at a local childcare centre while chatting with an AI chatbot. David Lan Thackray, 29, was taken into custody on October 18. Police learned about his threats through his conversations with Claude, an AI chatbot made by a company called Anthropic. The case has raised new questions about what AI chatbots should do when users say something dangerous.

Thackray was charged with using a phone or internet service to threaten, harass, or offend someone. According to police documents shown in court, Thackray told Claude he would 'go down to the local Westfield right now and shoot up the local daycare.' A Westfield is a large shopping centre. Police say he also mentioned a real attack that happened in Sydney as an example of what he wanted to do.

The attack Thackray referenced took place at Bondi Beach in December 2025. A man named Naveed Akram and his father allegedly opened fire on families who were celebrating a Jewish holiday called Hanukkah. Fifteen people were killed in that attack. Naveed Akram has been charged with 15 counts of murder. Thackray reportedly brought up this attack during his chats with Claude.

Prosecutors — the lawyers who work for the government — asked the court to keep Thackray in jail. They argued that releasing him could lead to a 'catastrophic' outcome. 'What he intends to do is start murdering people in Sydney, just like the alleged terrorist did in Bondi,' prosecutors told the court. They said his chats with Claude gave them a clear look into his state of mind.

Thackray's own lawyer argued that his client did not really mean what he said. Lawyer Danilo Rajkovic said the words were a 'stress-induced diatribe,' meaning an angry outburst caused by stress. He claimed Thackray had first tried to use Claude to get help with an ear infection. The lawyer also pointed out that Thackray has no criminal record, has lived in Australia for more than 17 years, and is currently studying international relations.

The court ordered Thackray to be held in custody for a mental health assessment before his case moves forward. A mental health assessment is an evaluation done by doctors to understand how a person is feeling and thinking. The judge wanted to make sure his mental health was properly reviewed. No final decision about bail has been made yet.

Anthropic, the company that makes Claude, said its chatbot is trained to refuse requests that involve planning or encouraging violence. The company also noted that user data — meaning information from chats — may be shared with law enforcement agencies in certain emergency situations. In this case, Interpol, an international police organisation, flagged Thackray's conversations and alerted local authorities. The case shows that AI companies can and do work with police when they believe someone is in danger.