British Columbia Sues OpenAI Over Failure to Warn Authorities Ahead of Tumbler Ridge Mass Shooting

The government of British Columbia has taken legal action against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, filing a lawsuit in a California federal court after the artificial intelligence company failed to alert law enforcement to troubling ChatGPT activity prior to a deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge.

The lawsuit follows a tragic February 10th, 2026 attack where 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother at home before going to her former secondary school, where she shot five students and an educational assistant before taking her own life.

According to the lawsuit, OpenAI's internal safety systems flagged Van Rootselaar’s account for concerning discussions about gun violence as early as June 2025. While human safety reviewers identified a "credible specific risk of harm to others" and recommended notifying police, company leadership rejected the advice and simply deactivated the account. Van Rootselaar subsequently set up a second account to continue planning the attack.

British Columbia is demanding financial compensation from OpenAI to help pay for emergency responses, community recovery, and the reconstruction of the local secondary school, which is being demolished. The province is also asking the court to mandate a major overhaul of how the tech firm manages user interactions involving violent threats.

Addressing the legal action, British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma stressed the necessity of holding tech companies accountable. “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 pointed out that the situation raises fundamental questions regarding "the responsibilities of technology companies when they become aware of credible threats of serious violence," adding, “This case highlights the urgent need for strong national safeguards for artificial intelligence technologies and online platforms.”

Addressing journalists on Monday, Sharma noted that OpenAI refused requests to share the specific transcripts.

"We have asked OpenAI to disclose these chats. They have refused. We should all be asking them: Why?" she stated. She noted that "To date, OpenAI has not taken meaningful steps to address the concerns raised by survivors, families and the Tumbler Ridge community," but added that "The company still has an opportunity to demonstrate accountability by strengthening safeguards, improving transparency and taking concrete action to help prevent similar tragedies in the future."

In the wake of the tragedy, Sam Altman issued an open letter apologizing to the community.

"I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement," Altman wrote in April. However, the lawsuit contends that OpenAI failed to follow through on promised reforms despite attempts by provincial officials to coordinate.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri described the shooting as an "unspeakable tragedy".

“OpenAI remains committed to working collaboratively with government and law enforcement officials, and continuing to advance our ongoing safety work,” Pusateri stated.

The action brought by British Columbia joins more than 30 existing lawsuits filed in the San Francisco federal court by victims' families and survivors, all alleging that OpenAI was negligent in failing to contact authorities to stop the massacre.