MONTREAL: British Columbia said Tuesday it was preparing a lawsuit against OpenAI for its failure to report violent ChatGPT activity by the person who committed a mass school shooting in Canada’s Western province.
OpenAI had banned an account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025, eight months before the 18-year-old transgender woman killed eight people at her home and a school in the small mining town of Tumbler Ridge.
Canadian families affected by the February shooting have already filed lawsuits against the American tech giant in a California court.
British Columbia said Tuesday it was preparing a separate case, in coordination with the families, and had hired lawyers in both Canada and California.
Provincial Attorney General Niki Sharma told reporters that the province wanted to hold OpenAI and its decision-makers accountable “for failing to notify authorities about the violent indications made on its ChatGPT platform by the perpetrator prior to the tragedy at Tumbler Ridge.”
“British Columbia has never shied away from standing up to powerful corporations when their actions cause harm to people and communities,” he added.
In April, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized to Tumbler Ridge residents and said in a public letter that he “deeply regretted not alerting authorities about the account that was banned in June.”
“While I know words will never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the damage and irreversible loss your community has suffered,” Altman wrote.
Van Rootselaar killed his mother and brother at the family home before heading to the local high school, where he shot dead five children and a teacher.
He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after police entered the building.
