British Columbia is gearing up to sue OpenAI,accusing the tech giant of failing to alert police about violent conversations on its ChatGPT platform tied to mass shooting in February . Attorney General Niki Sharma announced Tuesday that legal teams in both British Columbia and California are exploring options against OpenAI for allegedly ignoring flagged threats.
The lawsuit stems from a tragic February 10 incident in Tumbler Ridge where 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed his mother and half-brother,then attacked Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Five children and one educator died,27 others injured. Van Rootselaar died by suicide .
Sharma's office says OpenAI's internal reports showed safety teams flagged violent prompts from the shooter months before. Yet, company leaders allegedly didn't notify authorities. "When serious concerns arise,we must act," Sharma said.
This move comes three months after families of seven victims sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in California. They represent families of five deceased and two injured. OpenAI had flagged and banned Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account in June 2025 for discussing violent scenarios.
Despite 12 employees urging OpenAI to alert authorities,no action followed. OpenAI initially considered contacting law enforcement but decided against it, citing no imminent threat.
In a local newspaper apology, Altman expressed regret over not contacting police before shooting, acknowledging the community's loss. "I'm deeply sorry we didn't alert law enforcement about the banned account," he said,addressing the community's pain.
The British Columbia lawsuit will differ from the ongoing litigation by victims' families. As legal proceedings start, implications for OpenAI could be significant amid increasing scrutiny on tech firms' roles in preventing platform-linked violence.
OpenAI, based in San Francisco, faces mounting pressure to ensure AI system safety . The Tumbler Ridge incident raises tough questions about tech companies' ethical duties in monitoring and responding to harmful user-generated content. As the province prepares its case,the outcome could set precedent for future handling of similar issues.
