B.C. ‘Preparing Legal Action’ Against OpenAI After Tumbler Ridge Mass Shooting
The British Columbia government has hired legal counsel to pursue possible legal action against OpenAI over the role the province alleges the company played before the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
The province claims OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement about violent prompts allegedly made by the shooter on ChatGPT before the tragedy.
Tumbler Ridge Shooting Left Community Devastated
On Feb. 10, an 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed her mother and half-brother before going to a local secondary school.
Police said she then killed five children, aged 12 and 13, and an educator.
The shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
Attorney General Says Province Must Act
On Tuesday morning, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said the province has a duty to the Tumbler Ridge community to help prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
She described the events of Feb. 10 as a dark chapter in British Columbia’s history.
Sharma said the province was shocked by the possibility that there may have been an opportunity to prevent the loss of life.
Province Alleges OpenAI Failed to Notify Police
Sharma said the legal action is connected to allegations that OpenAI did not notify law enforcement after the shooter allegedly made violent prompts on ChatGPT before the attack.
She said artificial intelligence tools can create public risks, and governments have a responsibility to ensure companies are held accountable when those risks may harm communities.
Victims’ Families Also Taking Legal Action
In April, families of the victims announced that they were taking OpenAI and co-founder Sam Altman to court in California.
Their lawyers said the families planned to pursue major damage awards.
According to a news release from the families’ lawyers, the shooter’s ChatGPT account had allegedly been banned for disturbing content before the February attack.
That content reportedly included planning violent scenarios.
OpenAI Says Account Was Banned Earlier
OpenAI has said the account linked to the shooter was banned in June 2025.
However, the company said the content did not meet the threshold required to report it to authorities.
A letter of apology from Altman was later published in the local newspaper Tumbler RidgeLines on April 24.
In that letter, Altman said he was deeply sorry that the company did not notify law enforcement about the shooter’s account.
Province Retains Lawyers in Vancouver and California
Sharma said the province is still in the early stages of the legal process.
She added that while the timeline for legal action remains unclear, she is committed to keeping the public updated as the case develops.
The province has retained CFM Lawyers in Vancouver and Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, a law firm based in California, where OpenAI is headquartered.
B.C. Seeks Accountability and Community Support
Sharma said the province will explore every available legal option to hold OpenAI and its decision-makers accountable.
She said no company or corporate leader should be above scrutiny when public safety is at risk.
The legal effort is also intended to seek financial support for community rebuilding, including a new school facility in Tumbler Ridge.
New School Planned for Tumbler Ridge
Premier David Eby announced in May that Tumbler Ridge Secondary, where the shooting took place, would be demolished and replaced with a new building.
In June, the federal government committed $200 million toward a new school and an upgraded health centre.
The replacement project is part of broader efforts to help the community recover.
B.C.’s History of Corporate Legal Action
Sharma noted that British Columbia has previously taken major corporations to court and won significant results.
The province is receiving about $3.7 billion over 18 years as part of a settlement with major tobacco companies and Canadian provinces.
B.C. has said that money will be used for cancer treatment and research.
Opioid Lawsuits Also Moving Forward
British Columbia also launched class-action lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors in 2018.
Earlier this week, the province said those lawsuits will continue after the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed final appeals.
Sharma said the OpenAI matter is similar in principle because the province is using the courts to seek accountability and prevent British Columbians from bearing the costs of alleged corporate wrongdoing.
The B.C. government is preparing legal action against OpenAI over allegations connected to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting. Attorney General Niki Sharma says the province wants accountability after claims that violent ChatGPT prompts were not reported to law enforcement before the attack.
Families of the victims are also pursuing legal action against OpenAI and Sam Altman in California. While OpenAI has said the account was banned in 2025 but did not meet the reporting threshold, the province says public safety and corporate responsibility must be closely examined.
The legal effort may also seek financial support for rebuilding the Tumbler Ridge community, including a new school facility.
