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Survivors from a tragic incident are accusing OpenAI of negligence, claiming the company was aware that the primary suspect was contemplating a mass shooting yet chose not to alert the police.
In a federal court in California, multiple lawsuits were filed on September 2 against OpenAI, alleging that the tech firm could have potentially averted a mass shooting incident that occurred in Canada in February 2026. This incident unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, where teachers, students, and a principal were present during the attack.
The plaintiffs argue that OpenAI had knowledge of Jesse Van Rootselaar's plans for the attack through her interactions with the AI chatbot ChatGPT, yet opted to remain silent and not inform law enforcement.
“This isn’t merely a question of someone searching online for firearm purchases,” stated Jay Edelson, an attorney representing the individuals involved in the lawsuits. “This is a case where the technology was actively involved in orchestrating acts of violence.”
These lawsuits are part of a broader legal challenge against OpenAI related to this shooting. Earlier in April, seven additional lawsuits were initiated by the families of victims, including the mother of one of the deceased and a 12-year-old who was injured. Those cases are still pending.
Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, expressed in a statement on September 2 that it is “entirely false” to suggest that the individuals making these difficult decisions do not place a high priority on safety. He remarked, “Not a day passes without reflecting on the events at Tumbler Ridge and the suffering experienced by its victims and their families. It serves as an ongoing reminder of the vital and exceptionally challenging work undertaken by my team daily.”
Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO and named in the lawsuits, extended an apology to the Tumbler Ridge community, acknowledging a failure to report the suspect’s online activity to the authorities.
Since 2024, OpenAI and other chatbot developers have been facing a wave of legal actions connected to user criminal activities or claims that excessive usage of these technologies has caused various harms to both children and adults.
In certain instances, chatbots have been accused of contributing to mental health issues, with some users experiencing severe consequences, including suicidal thoughts and resorting to acts of violence.
In the Tumbler Ridge incident, lawsuit claims indicate that OpenAI’s systems had flagged Van Rootselaar’s activity for “gun violence and attack planning” approximately eight months before the shooting event. An internal safety team reviewed the logs and recommended that the information be shared with law enforcement.
However, company leaders reportedly declined this recommendation in June 2025, opting instead to deactivate Van Rootselaar’s account, according to the complaints.
Despite this, she managed to create a new account, with the ultimate decision regarding notifying law enforcement resting with OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane, as claimed by the lawsuits.
Kwon defended Lehane, stating, “It is entirely incorrect to assert that he was involved in our initial referral decision, or that our investigators report to him in any capacity.”
The lawsuits further allege that OpenAI prioritized its corporate reputation over the genuine safety risks stemming from Van Rootselaar’s discussions with ChatGPT.
“The potential for real-world fatalities was either disregarded or considered an acceptable risk in protecting the company’s image,” the lawsuits assert.
On the day of the shooting, Van Rootselaar allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother at their home before proceeding to the school, where she took the lives of six others, including five children. She died at the scene from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
