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.
209 Articles
209 Articles
AI’s next big legal battle is over product liability
It’s a busy time to be a lawyer for an AI company. British Columbia became the latest government to sue OpenAI last week, alleging the company failed to warn police before February’s mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The case is about the loss of life at the school, but at its core is an argument plaintiffs are making increasingly often in lawsuits against AI companies. The tools they produce aren’t just services that somebody hap…
The Canadian province of British Columbia has sued OpenAI after the Tumbler Ridge school shooting and is also seeking reimbursement for the costs of the new school.
OpenAI has been sued over the incident.
An 18-year-old shot eight people in Canada in February. OpenAI has been sued over the incident.
Toronto, Canada, Sep 25 (EFE).- Canadian Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon expressed concern over the revelations about the talks that the author of the Tumbler Ridge massacre, which took place in February this year, held with ChatGPT and warned that they raise "serious questions" about OpenAI's performance. "The [...] Canada entry questions OpenAI about author chats of the February Tumbler Ridge massacre was first published in HolaN…
As British Columbia Sues in US Courts Over Mass Shooting, OpenAI Wants Victims' Cases Heard in Canada
British Columbia’s lawsuit over a deadly mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School comes as OpenAI has moved to dismiss dozens of lawsuits in California filed by the families of the victims on grounds that the litigation belongs in Canada.
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