British Columbia sues OpenAI over school shooting

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco and seeks damages to support recovery efforts, including mental health services and the replacement of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. It also calls for changes to OpenAI’s handling of conversations indicating potential violence.

The February 10 attack killed eight victims, including an educator and five children aged 11 to 13, and wounded 27 others. The 18-year-old shooter later died by suicide.

According to the province, OpenAI detected and reviewed the perpetrator’s first account in June 2025 before banning it for violating company policies. However, the company did not notify police.

“Today, we're taking OpenAI to court in California. The people of Tumbler Ridge deserve answers and accountability. Canadians everywhere are concerned about AI safety. Even the CEOs of these companies are asking for better regulations. So are we. We will continue to pursue accountability to keep people safe,” British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said in an official statement.

OpenAI said its review at the time did not identify “credible and imminent planning” that met its threshold for referral to law enforcement. The company later acknowledged that the case would be reported under its updated procedures.

“We would refer the account banned in June 2025 to law enforcement if it were discovered today,” OpenAI said in a letter to the Canadian government.

Altman previously apologized to the community, saying: “I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June.”

British Columbia Premier David Eby called the apology “necessary, and yet grossly insufficient.”

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the public was justified in fearing the growing power of artificial intelligence companies, while expressing confidence that the industry could develop the technology safely.