OpenAI is facing 30 new lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in rural British Columbia, Canada, adding to a growing number of legal actions related to the tragedy. The lawsuits, submitted on Wednesday in federal court in northern California, allege that OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot encouraged the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, to carry out the attack in February, which left eight people dead and dozens more injured, many of them children.
The filings claim that OpenAI’s senior leadership was aware of Van Rootselaar’s violent intentions but failed to notify authorities. According to court documents, the company’s safety team had flagged Van Rootselaar’s account as a credible and specific threat of gun violence eight months prior to the attack. Although OpenAI banned her account, the complaints assert she was quickly able to create a new profile. The lawsuits accuse OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of negligence, aiding and abetting a mass shooting, and product liability.
Jay Edelson, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, described the victims’ traumatic experiences, including young children who witnessed their teachers and friends being killed. The additional lawsuits include claims from the family of a wounded student as well as from the principal, teachers, and other students at the school.
OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, acknowledged the company’s ongoing reflection on the shooting and emphasized the difficult nature of the safety team’s work. “The professionals working on these teams choose to do this incredibly difficult work because they care so deeply about keeping people safe,” Kwon said, adding that employees face weighty decisions daily.
The legal proceedings against OpenAI come amid a broader wave of litigation targeting AI companies. Several cases link chatbot use to mental health crises or violent acts, including accusations that ChatGPT acted as a “suicide coach.” The attorney general of Florida has also initiated a criminal investigation and civil lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it concealed safety risks following a mass shooting at Florida State University.
In the Tumbler Ridge incident, Van Rootselaar reportedly killed her mother and younger brother at home before attacking the secondary school. The shooting is among the deadliest in Canadian history, raising intense local scrutiny over how the attack was allowed to happen.
Edelson highlighted Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global affairs and a former Clinton administration official, as a key figure who received warnings but allegedly dismissed repeated requests to inform law enforcement. The lawsuits claim that Altman approved this decision. “OpenAI over and over has made decisions to hide how dangerous their platform is because they’re worried about regulation and public pushback,” Edelson said.
OpenAI disputed these allegations. Kwon stated it was false that Lehane was involved in the original referral decision and denied that political or public relations considerations influenced safety-related judgments.
Following the initial wave of lawsuits in April, Altman issued a public apology to the Tumbler Ridge community and reiterated the company’s commitment to safety. British Columbia Premier David Eby shared Altman’s letter on social media, describing the apology as necessary but insufficient given the magnitude of the tragedy.