British Columbia sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over Tumbler Ridge mass school shooting

British Columbia has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that a mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge could have been prevented. The province claims that OpenAI failed to warn law enforcement despite its safety team flagging the shooter's ChatGPT conversations about gun violence. The lawsuit seeks damages for recovery efforts and an order for changes in how the company handles potentially violent ChatGPT interactions. The February attack resulted in nine deaths, primarily children. OpenAI stated it is committed to working with officials and advancing safety measures. This legal action follows similar lawsuits filed by victims' families and other states, including Florida, over alleged safety risks associated with ChatGPT.

British Columbia is suing OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, over the platform's alleged role in the February 10, 2026, school shooting in Tumbler Ridge. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, claims OpenAI failed to notify law enforcement about deadly threats made on its platform by the 18-year-old shooter. The shooter had been flagged by ChatGPT's safety team for conversations about gun violence, but the company did not alert police. The province is seeking financial compensation for emergency response and recovery costs, as well as a court order requiring OpenAI to improve its systems for identifying and handling threats of violence. The attack resulted in eight deaths, including five children and an educator at a secondary school, after the shooter killed her mother and half-brother.

British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in a California court, alleging the company failed to report violent activity on its ChatGPT service by the individual responsible for a mass school shooting in February. The province's Attorney General stated the suit seeks accountability and change from the US tech giant. This legal action follows separate lawsuits filed by families impacted by the shooting, which resulted in eight deaths in Tumbler Ridge. OpenAI has reportedly argued that these lawsuits should be heard in British Columbia, while the province contends California is the appropriate venue because the decision not to report occurred there.

Families of seven victims of a Canadian mass shooting are suing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman for negligence. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI employees flagged the shooter's ChatGPT account eight months before the February 10th attack, identifying a "credible and specific threat of gun violence." Despite internal recommendations to notify Canadian law enforcement, the company reportedly chose to deactivate the account instead. The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed his mother, younger brother, and six others at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, before taking his own life. The families accuse OpenAI of failing to prevent the tragedy and are pursuing multiple legal claims, including wrongful death and product liability. OpenAI stated they have strengthened safeguards and have a zero-tolerance policy for violent use of their tools.