British Columbia sues OpenAI over alleged failure to report Tumbler Ridge threats
The province is seeking compensation and court-ordered reforms after alleging ChatGPT conversations involving threats of violence were flagged but not reported to police.
British Columbia has sued OpenAI and chief executive Sam Altman in a San Francisco federal court, alleging the company failed to alert police to threats made on ChatGPT before the 10 February 2026 shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge.
The province is seeking compensation for emergency-response and community-recovery costs. It is also asking the court to require reforms to OpenAI’s procedures for identifying and handling conversations that threaten violence.
According to the lawsuit, OpenAI’s safety team flagged conversations involving Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old former student, after discussions about gun violence but did not notify police. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Eight people died in the attack, including Van Rootselaar’s mother, half-brother, five children and an educator. Van Rootselaar died by suicide at the scene, according to the source material.
The lawsuit says Altman apologised to the community in April and promised reforms, but that those changes were not implemented despite efforts by British Columbia’s attorney general to engage with the company.
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said the case raised questions about the responsibilities of technology companies when they become aware of credible threats of violence. More than 30 related lawsuits have reportedly been filed in the same federal court by families, survivors and others affected by the attack.
OpenAI’s response is not included in the available source material.
