British Columbia sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge school shooting

On September 21, British Columbia filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in California, claiming that the company could have prevented a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge by alerting local law enforcement about the shooter's use of ChatGPT for planning the attack. The lawsuit names OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, as defendants, seeking damages for the province's recovery costs, including the replacement of the school, mental health care, and other consequences.

Nine people, primarily children, were killed in the February 10 attack, with the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, later dying by suicide.

Van Rootselaar had previously been flagged by OpenAI's safety team after conversations about gun violence, but no alert was sent to the police. Sam Altman later published a letter expressing deep regret for OpenAI's failure to notify law enforcement and promised reforms, but failed to act on those promises despite the attorney general's efforts to engage.

OpenAI's spokesperson, Drew Pusateri, described the Tumbler Ridge shooting as an "unspeakable tragedy" and reiterated the company's commitment to collaborating with government and law enforcement officials.

The lawsuit comes after over 30 family members of victims and others impacted by the attack filed separate lawsuits in California federal court, accusing OpenAI of failing to prevent the shooting. Van Rootselaar's interactions with ChatGPT were initially flagged in June 2025, but the company chose not to alert law enforcement. Despite the whistleblower revelations published in the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI continued to refuse to report the issues to law enforcement, citing internal criteria for reporting.