Why OpenAI, Sam Altman have been sued by British Columbia
What's the story
The Canadian province of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. The legal action was taken in a federal court in San Francisco. The lawsuit claims that the tragic mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge could have been avoided if OpenAI had informed local law enforcement about the shooter's use of ChatGPT to plan the attack.
Legal demands
Lawsuit seeks damages for recovery efforts
The lawsuit seeks damages to support recovery efforts after the February attack, as well as an order to change how OpenAI handles ChatGPT conversations that could lead to violence.
The shooting left nine people dead, mostly children.
The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had been flagged by OpenAI's safety team for her conversations about gun violence but was not reported to police.
Apology
Altman apologized for the incident
After the incident, Altman issued a public apology for OpenAI's failure to notify law enforcement.
He promised reforms but did not follow through on those promises, despite British Columbia's attorney general's attempts to engage with him.
The school where the shooting occurred is being demolished, and the province has had to cover costs for a new school, mental health care, and other effects of the shooting.
Company stance
OpenAI called shooting an 'unspeakable tragedy'
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the Tumbler Ridge shooting an "unspeakable tragedy."
He added, "OpenAI remains committed to working collaboratively with government and law enforcement officials, and continuing to advance our ongoing safety work."
The British Columbia lawsuit comes after over 30 lawsuits were filed in California by families of victims and others affected by the shooting.
These cases accuse OpenAI of missing an opportunity to prevent the attack.
Case details
Shooter's interactions were flagged in June 2025
The lawsuit states that Van Rootselaar's interactions with ChatGPT were flagged by OpenAI in June 2025.
However, despite recommendations from safety team members to contact police, Altman and other company leaders overruled them.
The shooter's account was deactivated but she managed to create a new one and continue using the platform for planning her attack.
Legal challenges
Other lawsuits against OpenAI
Responding to the allegations, OpenAI said its systems flagged the account for "misuses of our models in furtherance of violent activities."
However, they did not meet internal criteria for reporting to law enforcement.
The British Columbia lawsuit is one among many filed against OpenAI in US state and federal courts over claims that ChatGPT facilitated violence.
In June, Florida became the first state to sue OpenAI over safety risks associated with ChatGPT.