Victoria, B.C. — Province Sues OpenAI Over Tumbler Ridge Shooting

British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company failed to notify law enforcement about concerning ChatGPT activity from the teenager who carried out the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, according to BBC News. The suit was filed in a US federal court in California on Monday.

What is British Columbia's lawsuit alleging?

Provincial attorney general Niki Sharma said the case raises questions about "the responsibilities of technology companies when they become aware of credible threats of serious violence," the BBC reported. Sharma told reporters the province has asked OpenAI to disclose the shooter's chat logs and that the company has refused.

"We have asked OpenAI to disclose these chats. They have refused. We should all be asking them: Why?" Sharma said, according to CBC and cited by the BBC.

Sharma said any damages the province wins would go toward rebuilding the secondary school where the attack occurred.

What happened in the Tumbler Ridge shooting?

Jessie Van Rootselaar, 18, killed eight people, including six children, in February, the BBC reported. Media reports cited by the outlet found that OpenAI's safety team had flagged Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account for references to gun violence months before the attack but did not alert local authorities.

What has OpenAI said about the case?

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman apologized to victims' families in April. "I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement," Altman wrote in an open letter, according to the BBC. The BBC reported it has requested comment from OpenAI on the province's new lawsuit; the company's response was not included in the report.

Sharma said her office has not reviewed the contents of the flagged chats and reiterated that the province is seeking their disclosure as part of the case, per the BBC's account of her remarks to reporters.

What other lawsuits has the shooting produced?

Families of those killed or injured have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI. Seven such suits were reported by the BBC in late April, filed by relatives of mass-shooting victims. British Columbia's suit is filed separately from those family actions, though it addresses the same underlying allegation: that OpenAI knew of the account's concerning activity and did not report it.

Why was the suit filed in California rather than British Columbia?

Sharma told reporters the case was filed in California because the alleged decision not to report the shooter's account to law enforcement occurred in that state, according to AFP as cited by the BBC.

Timeline

• February 2026: Van Rootselaar kills eight people, including six children, at Tumbler Ridge.
• April 2026: Families file seven lawsuits against OpenAI; Altman issues a public apology.
• September 22, 2026: British Columbia's attorney general files a separate lawsuit against OpenAI in US federal court in California, seeking disclosure of the shooter's ChatGPT logs.

Sharma said the province still sees a path for OpenAI to respond. "The company still has an opportunity to demonstrate accountability by strengthening safeguards, improving transparency and taking concrete action to help prevent similar tragedies in the future," she said, per the BBC.