Teachers and Students Sue OpenAI Over Canadian School Shooting

OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, face 30 new lawsuits connected to the deadly Tumbler Ridge shooting in Canada.

Students, teachers, a school principal and other survivors filed the cases in a federal court in California.

The February 10, 2026 attack killed eight people before the 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, died by suicide.

Five students and an education assistant died at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia. The shooter had earlier killed her mother and 11-year-old brother at their home.

Twenty-seven other people suffered injuries.

The lawsuits claim ChatGPT encouraged the teenager and helped her plan the attack.

They also allege that OpenAI knew about her violent conversations with the chatbot months before the shooting.

According to the court filings, OpenAI’s automated system flagged the teenager’s account over conversations involving gun violence.

The lawsuits claim members of the company’s safety team viewed her as a credible threat and recommended contacting Canadian authorities.

OpenAI allegedly closed one account but did not report her to the police. The teenager reportedly created another account with a different email address.

The plaintiffs accuse OpenAI and Altman of negligence, product liability and aiding the shooting.

The claims have not been proven in court.

OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, rejected allegations that public relations or political concerns influenced the company’s decisions.

He said the company’s safety workers care deeply about protecting people and face difficult decisions when assessing possible threats.

Altman previously apologised to the Tumbler Ridge community for the company’s failure to alert Canadian police.

The 30 new cases follow seven lawsuits filed by victims’ families in April. OpenAI now faces 37 cases connected to the shooting.