Canadian province sues OpenAI over alleged ChatGPT-linked shooting warnings

British Columbia's Attorney General Niki Sharma announced plans to pursue legal action against OpenAI, contending the artificial intelligence company neglected to inform authorities about flagged violent content on its ChatGPT platform connected to a mass shooting suspect. The province has engaged legal teams in both British Columbia and California to "explore all legal avenues" to hold OpenAI and its leadership accountable for the alleged failure to notify law enforcement.

The lawsuit stems from a February 10 attack in Tumbler Ridge, a remote mountain community, where 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed his mother and half-brother before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Five children aged 11 to 13 and one educator were killed at the school, with 27 others wounded. Van Rootselaar died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to Sharma's office, OpenAI's internal safety reports documented that the company's teams had flagged the shooter's "violent prompts on ChatGPT months before the attack," yet company leadership declined to alert police or local authorities.

The provincial action follows a separate lawsuit filed three months earlier by families of seven victims in California against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. Those lawyers stated that in June 2025—approximately eight months before the shooting—OpenAI had flagged and banned the perpetrator's account for "disturbing content" involving discussion and planning of violent scenarios. Despite 12 OpenAI employees reportedly urging the company to notify police about the shooter's plans, no action was taken. OpenAI subsequently told Canadian media it had considered referring the account to law enforcement but decided against notification because the activity did not indicate "an imminent and credible risk of serious physical harm to others." CEO Sam Altman later published an apology in a local newspaper, expressing deep regret that the company had not contacted authorities before the shooting occurred.