Canada’s BC sues OpenAI over ChatGPT role in Tumbler Ridge school shooting

British Columbia lawsuit implicates ChatGPT, claiming tech firm ignored deadly threats and demanding safety overhauls.

Workers install a fence around a makeshift memorial for the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, on February 12, 2026 [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]

The Canadian province of British Columbia has sued the California firm OpenAI for failing to notify law enforcement of threats made on its ChatGPT platform before a shooter opened fire at a school in Tumbler Ridge.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco on Monday, names OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, as defendants.

list 1 of 3 Families sue OpenAI, alleging chatbot aided in Canadian school shooting

list 2 of 3 Canadian province preps OpenAI lawsuit over alleged ChatGPT-linked shooting

list 3 of 3 OpenAI faces new lawsuits over Tumbler Ridge mass shooting tragedy

The British Columbia government is seeking financial compensation from OpenAI to cover past and future costs tied to emergency response and community recovery efforts. The lawsuit also seeks a court order forcing the company to overhaul how it identifies and handles user conversations that threaten violence.

Eight victims died in the February 10, 2026 attack in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, in what officials described as one of Canada’s worst mass shootings. The shooter killed her mother and half-brother at their home before going to a secondary school, where she killed five children and an educator, and then died by suicide at the scene.

People attend a community vigil at a makeshift memorial at the town hall in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, on February 13, 2026 [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]

The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, a former student at the school, had been flagged by ChatGPT’s safety team after her conversations about gun violence, but the company did not alert police.

British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said in a statement that Tumbler Ridge residents deserved answers and accountability.

“This action is an important step toward seeking justice for the families, students, educators and community members whose lives were forever changed,” she said.

She said the lawsuit raises serious questions about the responsibilities of tech firms when they become aware of credible threats of violence.

“This case highlights the urgent need for strong national safeguards for artificial intelligence technologies and online platforms,” she said.

A 3D-printed miniature model of Sam Altman and the ChatGPT logo are seen in this illustration taken on July 20, 2026 [Dado Ruvic/Reuters]

Altman published a letter to the community in April, saying he was “deeply sorry” OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement. He promised reforms but never followed through, despite efforts by the province’s attorney general to engage, the lawsuit says.

The British Columbia lawsuit comes after more than 30 lawsuits were filed in the same California federal court by victims’ families, survivors and others affected by the attack, accusing OpenAI of negligence for failing to intervene and alert authorities.

卑诗省的一起诉讼将 ChatGPT 牵扯其中，声称这家科技公司无视致命威胁并要求进行安全整改。

2026年2月12日，在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的图姆布勒里奇，工人们正在为大规模枪击案的遇难者搭建临时纪念碑，并安装围栏。[Jennifer Gauthier/路透社]

加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省起诉加州公司 OpenAI，指控其在枪手于 Tumbler Ridge 一所学校开枪前，未能将 ChatGPT 平台上发布的威胁信息通知执法部门。

该诉讼于周一在旧金山联邦法院提起，被告为 OpenAI 及其首席执行官 Sam Altman。

（共3起案件，此为第1起） 多个家庭起诉OpenAI，指控其聊天机器人参与了加拿大校园枪击案。

加拿大三个省份中的第二个准备就涉嫌与 ChatGPT 相关的枪击事件对 OpenAI 提起诉讼

OpenAI因Tumbler Ridge大规模枪击案悲剧面临新的诉讼（共3起，此为第3起）

卑诗省政府正寻求向OpenAI公司支付赔偿金，以弥补过去和未来与紧急响应和社区重建工作相关的费用。该诉讼还要求法院下令强制该公司彻底改革其识别和处理用户暴力威胁对话的方式。

2026年2月10日，在加拿大小镇图姆布勒里奇发生的枪击案中，8名受害者丧生。官方称这是加拿大历史上最严重的枪击案之一。枪手先在家中杀害了她的母亲和同母异父的弟弟，然后前往一所中学，在那里杀害了5名学生和1名教师，最后在学校自杀身亡。

2026年2月13日，在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省图姆布勒里奇镇政厅的临时纪念碑前，人们参加社区守夜活动。[Jennifer Gauthier/路透社]

枪手杰西·范·鲁特塞拉尔（Jesse Van Rootselaar），18岁，是该校的前学生。她曾因谈论枪支暴力而被ChatGPT的安全团队标记，但该公司并未通知警方。

卑诗省司法部长妮基·夏尔马在一份声明中表示，图姆布勒里奇的居民理应得到答案和问责。

“这一行动是为那些生活因此而永远改变的家庭、学生、教育工作者和社区成员寻求正义的重要一步，”她说。

她说，这起诉讼引发了人们对科技公司在知晓可信的暴力威胁时应承担的责任的严重质疑。

“这个案例凸显了为人工智能技术和在线平台制定强有力的国家保障措施的迫切需要。”她说。

这张摄于 2026 年 7 月 20 日的插图中可以看到 Sam Altman 的 3D 打印微缩模型和 ChatGPT 标志。[Dado Ruvic/路透社]

奥特曼在四月份发表了一封致社区的信，表示他对OpenAI没有联系执法部门“深感抱歉”。诉讼称，他承诺进行改革，但尽管省检察长曾多次试图与他沟通，他却从未兑现承诺。

在不列颠哥伦比亚省提起诉讼之前，受害者家属、幸存者和其他受袭击影响的人已在同一加州联邦法院提起 30 多起诉讼，指控 OpenAI 疏忽大意，未能进行干预并通知当局。