The Canadian province of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, in a United States federal court, alleging the company failed to prevent a deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge. Filed in San Francisco, the legal action contends that the massacre could have been averted if OpenAI had alerted law enforcement after its safety systems detected the shooter discussing gun violence on ChatGPT. The province is seeking damages to cover emergency response, mental health services, and the reconstruction of the targeted school, alongside court-ordered reforms to how the artificial intelligence company monitors and reports threats of violence.
Whistleblower Claims and Deactivated Accounts
The attack took place on February 10, when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother at home before driving to her former school. At the school, she fatally shot an educational assistant and five students aged between 12 and 13 before taking her own life. According to the lawsuit, OpenAI’s internal safety team first flagged Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT interactions concerning gun violence in June 2025. Citing whistleblower accounts, the complaint states that safety personnel recommended reporting the user to the police, but senior executives overruled the recommendation. Although OpenAI deactivated the original account, Van Rootselaar established a second account to continue using the software, with the province alleging the firm took inadequate steps to halt her access or notify relevant authorities.
Growing Legal Pressure and Corporate Response
Drew Pusateri, a spokesperson for OpenAI, called the Tumbler Ridge shooting an unspeakable tragedy and stated that the company remains committed to working with law enforcement and advancing its safety protocols. The company has maintained that its AI models are engineered to decline requests that could facilitate violence, and that it alerts law enforcement when conversations indicate an imminent and credible risk. In this case, OpenAI stated that the flagged material did not satisfy its internal threshold for notifying external authorities. The lawsuit adds to mounting legal challenges facing the technology company, joining separate claims brought in California federal court by more than 30 victims’ families who also argue OpenAI missed direct opportunities to intervene.
Financial Toll and Broader Industry Scrutiny
Beyond corporate negligence, the legal filing emphasizes the severe financial strain placed on British Columbia. Authorities have decided to demolish the school where the attack took place, leaving the province responsible for funding a complete replacement alongside ongoing community recovery programs. The lawsuit follows similar legal pressure in the United States, including a suit filed by Florida in June that accused ChatGPT of contributing to school violence and posing safety risks to young users, which OpenAI denied. The British Columbia case is expected to test legal standards regarding corporate obligations to report potentially violent online behavior and redefine how artificial intelligence platforms manage dangerous content.
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