School demolished after ChatGPT shooting

An 18-year-old used ChatGPT to plan a shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in February 2026, killing five students, an education assistant, and two family members. The school was demolished because it became a symbol of trauma.

BC sues OpenAI for rebuilding costs

British Columbia is suing OpenAI and Sam Altman, demanding they pay for a new school building, emergency services, mental health care, and community recovery after the tragedy.

OpenAI knew about violent chats

OpenAI's safety team flagged the shooter's violent conversations in June 2025 and concluded they presented a credible risk of gun violence. Leadership overruled them and refused to alert police.

Safety team was ignored

Human reviewers examined the flagged conversations and determined the shooter posed a credible and specific threat. OpenAI leadership disagreed, claiming the threat didn't meet a higher threshold for reporting.

Account deactivated, not reported

Instead of reporting the user to police, OpenAI simply deactivated the account. The shooter created a second account and continued using ChatGPT.

Pattern of violent ChatGPT use

ChatGPT has been linked to multiple mass shootings and violent incidents, including at Florida State University and a Cybertruck bombing in Las Vegas.

BC suspects IPO protection motive

British Columbia alleges OpenAI withheld the chat logs to avoid drawing a hard line on reporting violent users, which could expose the company's role in enabling real-world threats before its anticipated one trillion dollar IPO.

Demanding public release of logs

British Columbia and the school board have asked the court to force OpenAI to release the shooter's chat logs publicly. So far, OpenAI has only shared them with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Tiny community, massive impact

Tumbler Ridge has only 2,700 people. With no other school building, no substitute teachers, and few available adults, the community had to import temporary workers and housing to handle the emergency response.

“We all know the victims.”

Students trapped for hours

About 160 students, teachers, and staff were trapped in classrooms and closets during the shooting. They were too traumatized to ever return to the school.

Temporary school from trailers

After the school closed, students attended classes in fourteen Ministry of Forestry trailers that were later converted into modular classrooms. The district had to furnish, staff, and reorganize instruction around murdered colleagues.

Mental health crisis ongoing

In three months after the shooting, Child and Youth Mental Health delivered over 900 counseling sessions to more than 100 children and families. A wellness center is being built because demand for mental health services remains high.

Copycat threats already investigated

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have already investigated copycat threats against the community. Extraordinary policing remains necessary because residents fear potential future attacks.

ChatGPT reinforced violent thinking

British Columbia alleges ChatGPT's design facilitated the shooter's mental instability by encouraging and reinforcing violent ideation instead of interrupting it or directing them to help.

OpenAI's safety instructions flawed

ChatGPT's model instructions tell it to assume good faith and not probe user intent during violent conversations. British Columbia wants the court to order these specific instructions changed.

Altman's apology deemed insufficient

Sam Altman apologized in April 2026, saying OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement. British Columbia called this an admission that OpenAI didn't notify police after identifying the violent risk.

“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June.”

Attorney general demands accountability

British Columbia's attorney general Niki Sharma said there is no AI exemption to criminal law. She questioned why OpenAI won't release the chat logs and noted the company aided a criminal offense.

“There is no AI exemption to those criminal law principles.”

Potential damages and punitive awards

OpenAI could face extensive damages covering emergency response costs and punitive damages if the failure to warn police is deemed willful. The company publicly promised to detect and report violent threats.