The Canadian province of British Columbia is taking legal action against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over the February mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, in what could become a landmark test of AI companies' duty of care.
Attorney General Nikki Sharma announced on September 21 that the province will file suit in California, alleging OpenAI failed to notify law enforcement about threats made on its platform before the February 10 shooting, which claimed nine lives and injured 25 more. Most of the victims were children aged 12 to 13, along with an adult educator, the shooter's mother Jennifer Jacobs, and her 11-year-old step-brother Emmett. The shooting is considered the deadliest school shooting in Canada since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. These are the province's allegations in the planned lawsuit.
A second account and a new investigation
A Mother Jones investigation published September 24 reported that shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar created a second ChatGPT account after his first was banned, and that the platform advised him on how to evade its own safeguards — including, the investigation says, telling him: "You can still be twisted… Just be clever about it." OpenAI has not responded to the investigation's claims.
OpenAI had flagged Van Rootselaar's first account in June 2025 for problematic activity, considered reporting it to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but decided against it and banned the account for policy violations. The company confirmed the existence of the second account in a February open letter to Canada's AI minister, Evan Solomon.
Government vs Big AI
Sharma says the province seeks "answers and accountability" and is pressing federal ministers to amend Canada's Criminal Code for AI accountability. Premier David Eby previously called OpenAI's internal report "profoundly disturbing," and described Altman's April apology as necessary but "nowhere near sufficient." Separately, one Tumbler Ridge family was already suing OpenAI, according to CBC.
Sources:
Demanding Accountability, Province Sues OpenAI Over Tumbler Ridge Tragedy (Techcouver)
B.C. moves to sue OpenAI as Tumbler Ridge investigation is released (The Omega)
Attorney General Nikki Sharma announced on September 21 that the province will file suit in California, alleging OpenAI failed to notify law enforcement about threats made on its platform before the February 10 shooting, which claimed nine lives and injured 25 more. Most of the victims were children aged 12 to 13, along with an adult educator, the shooter's mother Jennifer Jacobs, and her 11-year-old step-brother Emmett. The shooting is considered the deadliest school shooting in Canada since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. These are the province's allegations in the planned lawsuit.
A second account and a new investigation
A Mother Jones investigation published September 24 reported that shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar created a second ChatGPT account after his first was banned, and that the platform advised him on how to evade its own safeguards — including, the investigation says, telling him: "You can still be twisted… Just be clever about it." OpenAI has not responded to the investigation's claims.
OpenAI had flagged Van Rootselaar's first account in June 2025 for problematic activity, considered reporting it to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but decided against it and banned the account for policy violations. The company confirmed the existence of the second account in a February open letter to Canada's AI minister, Evan Solomon.
Government vs Big AI
Sharma says the province seeks "answers and accountability" and is pressing federal ministers to amend Canada's Criminal Code for AI accountability. Premier David Eby previously called OpenAI's internal report "profoundly disturbing," and described Altman's April apology as necessary but "nowhere near sufficient." Separately, one Tumbler Ridge family was already suing OpenAI, according to CBC.
Sources:
Demanding Accountability, Province Sues OpenAI Over Tumbler Ridge Tragedy (Techcouver)
B.C. moves to sue OpenAI as Tumbler Ridge investigation is released (The Omega)
