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British Columbia sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over Tumbler Ridge mass school shooting
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British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in a California federal court, alleging the company's negligence allowed a mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge. The provincial government claims the February 2025 attack, which killed nine people including children, could have been prevented if OpenAI had alerted law enforcement to the shooter's violent plans on ChatGPT. The lawsuit seeks damages to fund recovery efforts and court-ordered changes to how the company monitors and reports potentially dangerous conversations.
The tragedy unfolded when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar used ChatGPT to plan the massacre at her former school. According to the lawsuit, OpenAI's safety team flagged her conversations about gun violence as early as June 2025, months before the attack. The safety staff recommended contacting police, but company leadership including Altman overruled this advice. Although Van Rootselaar's account was deactivated, she created a new one and continued using the platform to plan the shooting.
On February 10, 2025, Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother at home before traveling to the school. There, she murdered an educational assistant and five students aged 12 and 13 before dying by suicide. The school is now being demolished, forcing the province to absorb costs for replacement facilities, mental health care, and other long-term impacts of the shooting. British Columbia's attorney general attempted to engage with OpenAI about reforms following the tragedy, but received no meaningful response according to the filing.
The lawsuit represents a significant escalation in legal challenges against OpenAI, joining over 30 similar lawsuits filed by victims' families and other states. Florida recently became the first state to sue OpenAI over safety risks, accusing the company of misrepresenting ChatGPT's safety. In response to British Columbia's action, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy and affirmed the company's commitment to working with law enforcement on safety improvements.
This case highlights growing concerns about AI platforms' responsibility in preventing violent misuse. OpenAI maintains it trains models to refuse violent requests and notifies police about imminent threats, but critics argue its internal standards are inadequate. The outcome could set important precedents for AI regulation and corporate liability, potentially forcing companies to implement more robust monitoring systems for dangerous content.
