British Columbia sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over Tumbler Ridge school shooting
British Columbia filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco federal court on Monday, naming OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman as defendants. The province seeks damages to fund recovery after the February 10 mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge and asks a court order that would change how OpenAI handles ChatGPT conversations that could lead to violence.
Key points
- British Columbia filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge school shooting.
- The suit says OpenAI’s safety team flagged the shooter’s June 2025 ChatGPT chats but leadership overruled police notification.
- OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the tragedy unspeakable and said the firm remains committed to work with law enforcement.
According to the complaint, the shooter, 18‑year‑old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was flagged by OpenAI’s safety team in June 2025 after discussing gun violence. Safety staff recommended notifying police, but the company’s leadership allegedly overruled that recommendation. Altman later issued a letter apologising for not contacting law enforcement and promised reforms that the lawsuit says were never implemented. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the tragedy “unspeakable” and reiterated the firm’s commitment to work with government and law‑enforcement officials.
The suit follows a series of recent legal actions against OpenAI, including a June lawsuit by the state of Florida accusing the company of misrepresenting ChatGPT’s safety. OpenAI maintains that its models are trained to refuse requests that could enable violence and that it notifies authorities only when conversations suggest an imminent and credible risk.
British Columbia sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over Tumbler Ridge mass school shooting
The Guardian AI · 22 September 2026
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