B.C. Government Files Lawsuit Against OpenAI in Tumbler Ridge Shooting
The province says OpenAI failed to alert police after a flagged ChatGPT exchange, and it seeks damages and a new school for the community.
- On Monday, British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma announced the province filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in California, alleging the company failed to alert police about an "alarming" ChatGPT conversation with the Tumbler Ridge shooter before the February 10, 2026, attack.
- Internal safety teams previously flagged 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar for concerning ChatGPT activity involving gun violence scenarios, but leadership chose not to report these interactions to law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.
- The February 10 shooting killed eight people, including six children, and injured two dozen others; this claim joins 36 other lawsuits filed in California by victims and families against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.
- Seeking compensation for community rebuilding, including a new school, Sharma asserts that "there is no AI exemption to those criminal law principles" and demands injunctive relief to prevent future harms.
- OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri denied the allegations, stating the company trains models to refuse requests that "meaningfully enable violence" and remains committed to collaborating with law enforcement on safety work.
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British Columbia sues OpenAI in the U.S. for failing to report threats made in ChatGPT prior to the Tumbler Ridge massacre.
berlingske.dk
OpenAI did not alert the police despite worrying activity on ChatGPT from the perpetrator months before the murder.
Channel News Asia
WTVBBritish Columbia sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge school shooting
British Columbia sued OpenAI in California on Monday (Sep 21), saying a mass shooting at a school in the Canadian province could have been prevented if the company had
British Columbia sues OpenAI in US court over Canada school shooting
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said in July that the province planned legal action against the US tech giant for its connection to the deadly February gun violence in the tiny mining town of Tumbler Ridge. Sharma told reporters that the suit filed earlier Monday is seeking "accountability and change" from OpenAI, which previously apologized for not flagging the account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old transgender wom…
OpenAI Reuters/Dado Ruvic The Canadian province of British Columbia entered with a lawsuit on Monday (21), in California, in the United States, against OpenAI. The government accuses the company of not having informed the authorities about violent activities identified in the ChatGPT account used by the person responsible for an attack that killed eight people in the province. Do you have any suggestions for reporting? Send to g1 The action is r…
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