OpenAI is facing a new wave of litigation following the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, that left eight people dead. On June 17, 30 new lawsuits were filed in U.S. federal court in California, including cases brought by teachers and students who were witnesses or survivors of the school shooting. These filings supplement seven initial lawsuits submitted in April.
The cases, represented by attorney Jay Edelson, accuse the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence giant and its CEO Sam Altman of negligence and aiding the mass shooting. Plaintiffs allege the company was aware of the 18-year-old shooter's intentions when he communicated with the ChatGPT chatbot about scenarios involving gun violence, yet company leaders failed to report their concerns to law enforcement.
In a letter to the community in April, Altman apologized for the company's failure to alert authorities about the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar. He wrote: "I know words are never enough, but I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the irreparable loss and suffering your community has endured."
Authorities say Van Rootselaar killed his mother and younger half-brother before arriving at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire. Five students and one teacher were killed at the school. More than 25 others were injured before the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to police accounts.
One of the new lawsuits was filed on behalf of a 13-year-old student, identified only as A.C., who played dead after witnessing the shooter kill classmates and a teacher. Another was filed by Deidre Rushlow, a seventh-grade teacher who hid under a desk with students during the shooting.
Responding to the lawsuits, Jason Kwon, OpenAI's chief strategy officer, wrote on social media platform X: "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened in Tumbler Ridge, or the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. It's a reminder of the important and difficult work my team has to do every day. We have approached this litigation with respect for the legal process as well as the families and victims of the tragedy, and we will continue to engage in good faith with that process."
Legal pressure on OpenAI is mounting. In July, British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma announced the province would pursue "every legal avenue to hold OpenAI and the company's decision-makers accountable" for the shooting. In addition to the British Columbia cases, the company faces multiple other lawsuits alleging its products played a role in incidents where users harmed others or themselves.
A recent lawsuit in Florida accuses the company of "actively supporting and encouraging a mass shooting" at Florida State University in April 2025. Other filings on behalf of victims across the United States and Canada allege that victims died by suicide after being prompted by ChatGPT, including a case in Quebec earlier this year.
