Families of Tumbler Ridge mass-shooting victims have filed California lawsuits accusing OpenAI of failing to act on warning signs before the attack.
Families of people killed or injured in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting have filed seven lawsuits in California against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of failing to alert authorities after the shooter’s ChatGPT activity raised concerns before the February attack.
The lawsuits mark a significant escalation in the legal fallout from one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings. Lawyers for the families say the cases are being brought in California to pursue larger damage awards than would likely be available in Canada, where they said damages for pain and suffering are capped at about $470,000.
On Feb. 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and half-brother at home before fatally shooting five children and an educator at the local secondary school, according to CBC News. Numerous others were injured. Van Rootselaar died of a self-inflicted injury.
The legal team says the lawsuits include claims on behalf of families of the six victims killed at the school and a seriously injured survivor. A previous lawsuit filed in British Columbia by the family of Maya Gebala, who was seriously injured in the shooting, is being discontinued as the new California actions proceed.
At the centre of the lawsuits are allegations that OpenAI knew enough about the shooter’s interactions with ChatGPT to warn law enforcement. The families’ lawyers say Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account had been banned for “disturbing content,” including alleged planning of violent scenarios. The firm Rice Parsons Leoni & Elliott said that despite “some 12 different OpenAI employees” urging the company to notify Canadian law enforcement, no warning was sent.
The lawsuits also allege OpenAI’s safety team recommended reporting the suspect to the RCMP, but that senior leadership vetoed the decision. Those allegations have not been tested in court.
OpenAI, responding to the lawsuits, said it has “a zero-tolerance policy for using our tools to assist in committing violence.” The company said it has strengthened safeguards, including how ChatGPT responds to signs of distress, connects users with local support and mental health resources, assesses and escalates potential threats of violence, and detects repeat policy violators.
OpenAI also disputed an allegation that it misled people about banning the suspect from the platform. The company told the BBC it revokes access from banned users, which can include disabling accounts and taking steps to stop them from opening new ones.
Altman apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community last week, writing in an open letter that he was deeply sorry the company did not alert law enforcement. Cia Edmonds, the mother of injured survivor Maya Gebala, rejected the apology in a statement shared by her lawyers and questioned why Canadian authorities were not contacted earlier.
Lawyers for the families say more than two dozen lawsuits are expected to be filed in waves on behalf of victims and community members. Jay Edelson, one of the lawyers representing the families, told the BBC he will seek jury trials in each case.
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