B.C. launches lawsuit against OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge mass shooting

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCrimeLocal NewsNationalWorld B.C. launches lawsuit against OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge mass shooting Attorney General Niki Sharma said B.C. hopes to hold the AI giant accountable for not flagging ChatGPT threats before the school shooting Author of the article: By Joseph Ruttle Published Sep 21, 2026 3 minute read Join the conversation People visit a memorial to the victims of the Feb. 10, 2026, mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. PHOTO BY PAIGE TAYLOR WHITE /AFP / Getty Images Article content B.C.’s attorney general promised Monday to get “answers and accountability” for the grieving community of Tumbler Ridge as the province filed a lawsuit against OpenAI over a mass shooting at the town’s high school. Article content Niki Sharma said the said the aim is to fight for stronger regulations on AI after the company spotted red flags about the shooter’s online activity in the days leading up to the Feb. 10 shootings by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. Article content Article content Article content The shooting left eight people dead, most of them 12 and 13 year old students at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Van Rootselaar’s mother and stepbrother were also killed at their home, while the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound as police descended on the school. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Soon after, OpenAI went public with news that it had flagged Van Rootselaar’s online behaviour in the days leading up to the mass shooting, but failed to contact authorities as accounts linked to Van Rootselaar were shut down due to violent and troubling content. Article content “The people of Tumbler Ridge have endured an unimaginable loss, and they deserve answers and accountability,” said Sharma in a prepared statement. Article content B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma, pictured at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver. PHOTO BY SCOTT MCALPINE /UBCM Article content “As part of our ongoing efforts to achieve that, British Columbia is filing a lawsuit against OpenAI in California for its failure to notify law enforcement of threats made on its platform before the mass shooting at…