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B.C. School Shooting Victims' Families Sue OpenAI and Sam Altman
Seven families of victims from a February 2026 school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, have sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in a San Francisco federal court. The lawsuits allege negligence for failing to report the shooter's flagged ChatGPT interactions to authorities despite internal warnings.
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The GuardianAudio version
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Seven families impacted by the February 2026 shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia filed lawsuits on April 28, 2026, against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco.
The complaints allege negligence, aiding and abetting, wrongful death, and product liability, claiming that OpenAI was aware of shooter Natalie "Samantha" Van Rootselaar's interactions with ChatGPT indicating violent intentions but did not report them to authorities.
Van Rootselaar, 18, killed six people—five students and one teaching assistant—and injured 27 others using a modified rifle before dying by suicide at the scene. , 12; and teaching assistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 26. The suits also represent the family of survivor Maya Gebala, 12, who sustained injuries to her head, neck, and cheek requiring multiple surgeries and may face permanent disabilities.
According to the court filings, OpenAI staff flagged Van Rootselaar's initial ChatGPT account in June 2025 as posing a "credible threat of gun violence," with the safety team recommending a report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The filings state that company leadership instead deactivated the account without notifying law enforcement, after which Van Rootselaar allegedly created a second account to continue interactions.
" The company confirmed it banned the initial account upon detection but was not aware of the second account until after the shooting. " O’Leary added that OpenAI has since enhanced safeguards, including improved threat detection, escalation processes, and links to mental health resources, and plans to strengthen ties with Canadian authorities to better detect repeat violators.
" He reaffirmed commitments to prevent future incidents, including discussions with local officials. " The lawsuits cite internal OpenAI debates, as reported by the Wall Street Journal based on anonymous employee accounts, alleging the company prioritized corporate interests, such as a potential $1 trillion IPO, over safety.
