British Columbia has sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman after the February 10, 2026, Tumbler Ridge school shooting that killed eight people, alleging the company failed to alert police about flagged ChatGPT conversations. The San Francisco federal complaint seeks damages to cover recovery costs and requests court-ordered changes to how potentially violent conversations are handled. OpenAI says the material did not meet its internal threshold for notifying law enforcement and denies broader allegations; the case adds to wider legal scrutiny of AI safety standards.
British Columbia Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman After Tumbler Ridge School Shooting, Alleging Missed Warning Signs
A woman mourns at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a 10 February mass shooting that took place at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada, on February 13, 2026 (AFP/Getty)
British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, arguing the company failed to notify law enforcement about flagged ChatGPT conversations that the province says could have helped prevent the deadly February school shooting in Tumbler Ridge.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint, lodged in federal court in San Francisco, seeks damages to cover the province's recovery costs and asks the court to order changes in how OpenAI handles ChatGPT conversations that may point to violent intent. British Columbia says OpenAI's safety team flagged discussions by the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, in June 2025 but did not notify police.
Officials Say Warnings Were Overruled
According to the lawsuit and whistleblowers cited by The Wall Street Journal, members of OpenAI's safety team recommended contacting police after the interactions were flagged, but company leadership, including Mr. Altman, declined to do so. OpenAI says the account was identified by systems that detect "misuses of our models in furtherance of violent activities," but that the material did not meet the company’s internal threshold for law-enforcement notification.
The Attack
Police say Jesse Van Rootselaar, then 18, shot her mother and stepbrother at home before going to her former school and killing an educational assistant and five students aged 12 to 13 on 10 February 2026. Van Rootselaar later died by suicide. In total, eight people were killed in one of Canada’s deadliest recent mass shootings.
People attend a vigil to honor the victims of one of Canada's deadliest mass shootings in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, on 13 February, 2026 (AFP/Getty)
The lawsuit notes that the shooter’s initial account was deactivated but that she subsequently created a new account and continued using the platform.
Responses From OpenAI And Officials
In a public letter, Sam Altman said he was "deeply sorry" OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement. A company spokesperson described the Tumbler Ridge shooting as an "unspeakable tragedy" and said OpenAI remains committed to working with government and law enforcement while continuing its safety work.
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said the lawsuit raises serious questions about what responsibilities technology companies have when they learn of credible threats of violence and called for stronger national safeguards for artificial intelligence and online platforms.
Legal And Policy Context
The suit joins growing legal scrutiny of AI safety. In June, Florida filed the first state-level lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company misrepresented ChatGPT’s safety and claiming harm to minors. OpenAI denies the claims and states it trains models to refuse requests that could "meaningfully enable violence," and that it notifies law enforcement when conversations indicate "an imminent and credible risk of harm to others."
More than 30 family members of victims and others affected by the Tumbler Ridge attack are participants in the legal action. The province is seeking both financial compensation for replacement school costs, mental health supports and recovery efforts, and court-ordered changes to how dangerous conversations are handled on OpenAI platforms.
What Comes Next
The case will proceed in federal court in San Francisco, where the parties will argue over the factual record and legal standards that govern platform responsibility and safety reporting. Observers say the outcome could influence how AI companies handle flagged content and collaborate with public safety officials.
Help us improve.
