Tumbler Ridge shooting survivors among 30 new plaintiffs suing OpenAI

Thirty more lawsuits have been filed in California against OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman, in connection with the tragic school shooting that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. in February. The total number of claims against the company and Altman now stands at 37. In the deadly shooting, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people, including his mother and step-brother, before taking his own life at a school.

Among the 30 new plaintiffs are educators, a principal, and students, including a 13-year-old boy who witnessed the shooter kill a teacher at close range. Court documents reveal the harrowing experiences of those caught in the shooting, with some trapped in the library as the shooter opened fire. The plaintiffs are demanding full disclosure of the chat logs between Van Rootselaar and ChatGPT leading up to the shooting, as well as internal chain of command documents related to identifying the shooter as a credible threat and failing to report him to authorities.

Their lawsuit seeks injunctive relief from a California court to compel OpenAI to change its corporate practices. OpenAI has stated it has strengthened its safeguards, including improving ChatGPT's response to signs of distress and connecting users with mental health resources. However, the company has not yet filed a defense statement to the latest claims.