Seven families of victims involved in the Tumbler Ridge shooting are suing OpenAI and its founder Sam Altman in California court for negligence and aiding and abetting a mass shooting.
The complaints, filed Wednesday in San Francisco court, allege that in the weeks following the attack, which was one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history, “a sickening truth emerged: ChatGPT played a role in the mass shooting and OpenAI could have, and should have, prevented it.”
Details of the Shooting
Eight people were killed on Feb. 10, 2026 when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar shot and killed her mother and half-brother in their home before going to the high school and opening fire, killing five children and an educator. The shooter died of a self-inflicted injury.
Victims and Plaintiffs
The lawsuits were filed by the families of six victims who died in the school shooting — Ezekiel Schofield, 12; Abel Mwansa Jr. 12; Kylie Smith, 12; Ticaria Lampert, 12; Zoey Benoit, 12; and Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39 — and the family of Maya Gebala, 12, who was shot three times at close range and remains in hospital.
Allegations Against OpenAI
The lawsuits allege OpenAI failed to take actions that could have prevented injuries and deaths in the shooting. It’s alleged the company leadership overruled employees who had flagged the shooter’s activity on a ChatGPT account and recommended contacting RCMP. Instead, the shooter’s account was deactivated and the shooter was able to start a new account.
The court documents allege the company knew its product was being used to plan and prepare for other violent acts. They list examples, including a man who used ChatGPT on how to use explosives before detonating a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas in January 2025 and of a 20-year-old gunman who used ChatGPT before carrying out a mass shooting in Florida in April 2025.
Design Choices Questioned
The suits say the Tumbler Ridge shooting was “an entirely foreseeable result of deliberate design choices OpenAI made,” and that the system was designed to maximize engagement, not safety.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Lawyer's Statement
In a statement, Jay Edelson, the lawyer representing the families, said the citizens of Tumbler Ridge have suffered an unimaginable tragedy and are mourning the loss of family members, friends and classmates. “Others are fighting to recover from bullet wounds and the trauma of what they witnessed. Twelve-year-old Maya Gebala is fighting for her life in a Vancouver hospital after being shot in the head at point-blank range,” he said.
“Meanwhile, OpenAI and Sam Altman refuse to provide any answers, have not lifted a single finger to help the community, and have taken no concrete steps to make us believe tragedies like this won’t keep happening on their watch. The best they can offer is an empty corporate apology as they sprint toward their IPO.”
