The Canadian province of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of failing to alert law enforcement about threats made on ChatGPT before a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, names OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman as defendants. The province seeks compensation for past and future costs tied to emergency response and community recovery, plus a court order requiring the company to change how it identifies and handles violent threats.

Eight victims died in the February 10, 2026 attack, which officials called one of Canada's worst mass shootings. The 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former student, killed her mother and half-brother at home, then five children and an educator at a secondary school before dying by suicide. ChatGPT's safety team had flagged her gun-violence conversations, but the company did not alert police.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said residents deserved answers and accountability, calling the case a step toward justice for families and the community. She said it raises serious questions about tech firms' responsibilities when they learn of credible threats and highlights the need for strong national safeguards for AI.

The lawsuit says Altman published an April letter apologizing that OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement and promised reforms, but never followed through despite the attorney general's efforts to engage. More than 30 lawsuits have already been filed in the same court by victims' families and survivors, accusing OpenAI of negligence.

Source: Al Jazeera