B.C. prepares OpenAI lawsuit after Tumbler Ridge school shooting

A government case takes shape

British Columbia officials said Tuesday they are moving toward court action against OpenAI, arguing the company failed to alert law enforcement about violent ChatGPT prompts before the February attack in Tumbler Ridge.aa +1 Attorney General Niki Sharma said the province has retained counsel in both B.C. and California and will seek accountability from the company and its decision-makers.cjme

The shooting left eight victims dead, including six children, after 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed family members at home and then opened fire at the local secondary school before dying by suicide, according to reporting on the provincial announcement.cbc +1 Sharma said the work is in its early stages but could seek damages for public costs tied to the attack, including a replacement school facility.cjme

The alleged warning before the attack

The province’s case centers on the allegation that OpenAI had flagged dangerous activity months earlier but did not contact Canadian authorities. CBC reported that OpenAI has said it banned the account associated with the shooter in June 2025, but that the content did not meet its threshold for reporting to police.cbc

Families of victims had already filed lawsuits in California alleging negligence and a defective chatbot product, saying OpenAI failed to report conversations that could have prevented deaths and injuries.npr The BBC reported that seven families sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company of ignoring troubling ChatGPT interactions and alleging that a safety team had recommended contacting the RCMP before leadership declined to do so.bbc

A broader test for AI accountability

OpenAI has said it has a zero-tolerance policy for use of its tools to assist violence and has strengthened safeguards, including how ChatGPT responds to distress and potential threats.npr +1 The company has also said it is improving escalation protocols and developing a direct law-enforcement contact point in Canada.cjme +1

The legal path is uncertain. Jon Festinger, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law, told The Canadian Press that B.C. would likely need to establish a direct causal link between OpenAI’s actions or inaction and the attack.infonews The RCMP said Tuesday its criminal investigation remains active and that digital forensic work on devices, social media and online accounts is still underway.infonews