The Canadian province of British Columbia has sued California-based OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in federal court in San Francisco, alleging the company failed to notify law enforcement about threats made on its ChatGPT platform before a deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, names OpenAI and Altman as defendants.
The provincial government is seeking financial compensation from OpenAI to cover past and future costs tied to emergency response and community recovery efforts. The lawsuit also seeks a court order forcing the company to overhaul how it identifies and handles user conversations that threaten violence. The legal action follows more than 30 similar lawsuits filed in the same California federal court by victims' families, survivors, and others affected by the attack, accusing OpenAI of negligence for failing to intervene and alert authorities.
Eight victims died in the February 10, 2026 attack in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, which officials described as one of Canada's worst mass shootings. The shooter killed her mother and half-brother at their home before going to a secondary school, where she killed five children and an educator, and then died by suicide at the scene. The shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school, had been flagged by ChatGPT's safety team after her conversations about gun violence, but the company did not alert police.
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said in a statement that Tumbler Ridge residents deserved answers and accountability. "This action is an important step toward seeking justice for the families, students, educators and community members whose lives were forever changed," she said. Sharma said the lawsuit raises serious questions about the responsibilities of tech firms when they become aware of credible threats of violence. "This case highlights the urgent need for strong national safeguards for artificial intelligence technologies and online platforms," she said.
Altman published a letter to the community in April, saying he was "deeply sorry" OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement. He promised reforms but never followed through, despite efforts by the province's attorney general to engage, the lawsuit says. The British Columbia lawsuit adds to the growing legal pressure on OpenAI over its role in the tragedy, as victims and officials seek both compensation and systemic changes to prevent future harm.
Source: www.aljazeera.com