Nine killed in Tumbler Ridge shooting

A mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia killed nine people, primarily children, on February tenth. The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was eighteen.

Shooter used ChatGPT to plan attack

Jesse Van Rootselaar used ChatGPT to plan the attack. OpenAI's safety team flagged her conversations about gun violence but did not alert police, the lawsuit alleges.

British Columbia sues OpenAI

British Columbia sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in San Francisco federal court on Monday, seeking damages for recovery efforts and an order directing changes to how the company handles violent conversations.

Altman promised reforms, then nothing

In April, Sam Altman published a letter saying he was deeply sorry OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement. He promised reforms but never followed through, despite efforts from British Columbia's attorney general to engage.

“deeply sorry”

Attorney general demands accountability

Niki Sharma, British Columbia's attorney general, said the company must strengthen safeguards and increase transparency. To date, OpenAI has not taken meaningful steps to address concerns raised by survivors and families.

“To date, OpenAI has not taken meaningful steps to address the concerns raised by survivors, families and the Tumbler Ridge community”

Safety team recommended police contact

Van Rootselaar's interactions with ChatGPT were flagged by OpenAI in June twenty twenty-five. Safety team members recommended contacting police, but Sam Altman and other leadership overruled them, according to whistleblowers.

Survivor left with permanent disabilities

One survivor, Maya Gebala, was shot three times including in the skull and suffered catastrophic brain injuries and permanent disabilities. Her family has documented her recovery online, including celebrating her thirteenth birthday this week.

More lawsuits follow from families

More than thirty family members of victims and others affected by the attack have filed lawsuits in California accusing OpenAI of opting out of a chance to prevent the shooting. OpenAI also faces lawsuits from a Florida State University shooting.

OpenAI defends its safety practices

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy and said the company trains models to refuse requests enabling violence and notifies law enforcement when conversations suggest imminent credible risk of harm.