OpenAI, Altman sued over ChatGPT's role in Canada mass shooting
What's the story
Families of the victims of a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. The lawsuits were filed in federal court in San Francisco on Wednesday. The plaintiffs allege that OpenAI knew about the shooter's plans to use ChatGPT for the attack eight months before it happened but failed to alert law enforcement agencies.
Incident details
Shooter killed her family, 5 students in school
The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was just 18 years old. She shot her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at home before killing an educational assistant and five students at her former school on February 10. She later died by suicide. The lawsuits claim that OpenAI's automated systems flagged ChatGPT conversations involving gun violence scenarios in June 2025 but did not contact police after Altman and other OpenAI leadership overruled them.
Legal claims
Suits seek damages, court order for OpenAI to change practices
The lawsuits are among a series of cases accusing AI companies of not preventing harmful chatbot interactions. They are the first in the United States to claim ChatGPT facilitated a mass shooting. The plaintiffs include families of those killed and injured in the attack. They seek unspecified damages and a court order for OpenAI to change its safety practices, including mandatory law enforcement referral protocols.
Company defense
OpenAI denies allegations, calls shooting a tragedy
OpenAI has called the shooting a "tragedy" and denied the allegations in the lawsuits. The company said it strengthens ChatGPT safeguards through improved responses to distress signals, connections to mental health support, threat assessment and escalation, and detection of repeat offenders. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has separately launched an investigation into ChatGPT's role in a 2025 shooting at Florida State University.
Regulatory action
Canada looking into regulating AI chatbots after lawsuits filed
Evan Solomon, the Canadian minister responsible for AI, is looking into regulating AI chatbots after the lawsuits were filed. He has been working with OpenAI to review their safety protocols. The cases will require courts to consider the potential role of an AI platform in promoting violence and whether a company can be held responsible for user actions.