Family sues OpenAI after deadly school shooting in Canada

Tuesday 10 March 2026 - 22:30

The family of a young girl critically injured in a school shooting in western Canada has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the company failed to alert authorities about troubling online messages on ChatGPT.

The attack, which took place on February 10 in Tumbler Ridge, left eight people dead, including the perpetrator’s mother and half-brother, and five children aged 12 and 13, along with a 39-year-old teacher. The 18-year-old attacker, Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender woman, had previously had her ChatGPT account suspended due to concerns over violent activity. OpenAI stated that it did not report her messages to the police because there was no indication of an imminent attack.

Lawyers representing the family of 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who remains hospitalized, argue that OpenAI’s negligence contributed to the tragedy. "The purpose of this lawsuit is to clarify the circumstances that led to the Tumbler Ridge shooting, assign responsibility, seek compensation for damages, and help prevent similar atrocities in Canada," said Rice Parsons Leoni and Elliott, the law firm handling the case.

Canadian authorities had already summoned OpenAI executives to Ottawa to discuss safety protocols. British Columbia Premier David Eby also spoke directly with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The company has since made several updates to its safety measures, consulting mental health and behavioral specialists to identify high-risk situations in conversations with chatbots.

In response to the lawsuit, OpenAI called the Tumbler Ridge incident "an unspeakable tragedy" and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with authorities to implement changes aimed at preventing future incidents.