Survivors of the February 2026 Tumbler Ridge school shooting in British Columbia have filed 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI in a California federal court. The lawsuits accuse OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of negligence for failing to alert police after banning shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account in June 2025. The plaintiffs, including students and teachers, join seven families who sued in April, alleging OpenAI's leadership overruled internal safety staff who urged contacting law enforcement.
Tumbler Ridge shooting lawsuits
- ▪The 30 new lawsuits filed in September 2026 join seven initial lawsuits filed in April 2026 by families of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
- ▪On September 2, 2026, survivors and witnesses of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting filed 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI in a U.S. federal court in California.
- ▪The 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI are being brought by the U.S. class-action law firm Edelson PC, led by lawyer Jay Edelson.
- ▪The plaintiffs in the 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI include teachers, students, and a principal who survived the Tumbler Ridge school shooting.
OpenAI failure to notify police
- ▪The lawsuits allege that OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement about Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT interactions describing gun violence scenarios before the February 2026 attack.
- ▪The lawsuits claim OpenAI avoided alerting police about Jesse Van Rootselaar to prevent being forced to establish an internal system for reporting violent users to authorities.
- ▪In April 2026, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote a letter apologizing to the community for the company's failure to alert law enforcement about Jesse Van Rootselaar.
ChatGPT account closure June 2025
- ▪OpenAI acknowledged that it shut down Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account in June 2025, eight months before the Tumbler Ridge shooting, due to a usage policy violation.
- ▪OpenAI's vice president of global policy, Ann M. O'Leary, stated in a February 2026 letter that the company did not identify credible and imminent planning when banning Jesse Van Rootselaar's account in June 2025.
Internal employee concerns overruled
- ▪The lawsuits against OpenAI contend that some OpenAI employees urged the company to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT interactions.
- ▪The lawsuits against OpenAI allege that the company's leadership overruled members of its internal safety team who wanted to report Jesse Van Rootselaar to law enforcement.
Negligence allegations against OpenAI
- ▪The lawsuits accuse OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of negligence, product-liability violations, and aiding and abetting the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
- ▪British Columbia's Attorney General Niki Sharma announced in July 2026 that the province would pursue legal avenues to hold OpenAI and its decision-makers accountable.
- ▪OpenAI faces other lawsuits alleging its products played a role in user harm, including a Florida lawsuit regarding an April 2025 shooting and a Quebec case involving suicide.
- ▪OpenAI's head of strategy, Jason Kwon, stated on September 2, 2026, that the company is approaching the litigation with respect and will engage in good faith.
February 2026 mass shooting
- ▪The shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School wounded more than 25 other people.
- ▪On February 10, 2026, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and brother before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia.
- ▪The Tumbler Ridge mass shooting resulted in the deaths of eight people, including five children and one educator at the school, before Jesse Van Rootselaar died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Story comments
Loading comments…