OpenAI is confronting 30 newly filed lawsuits stemming from a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February that resulted in eight deaths and numerous injuries, predominantly affecting children. The legal action, filed in federal court for the northern district of California, represents a significant expansion of litigation against the company, bringing the total number of cases related to the incident to 37 when combined with seven suits filed earlier in the year.
The complaints allege that the company’s ChatGPT chatbot played a role in motivating the attack carried out by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. According to court documents, employees within OpenAI’s safety division had identified the shooter’s account as presenting a credible and specific threat of armed violence approximately eight months prior to the incident. Following this identification, the company terminated the account, but the individual allegedly recreated access shortly thereafter. The lawsuits name the company and CEO Sam Altman as defendants, citing negligence, facilitation of the mass shooting, and product liability claims.
Key allegations focus on how senior leadership, including Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global affairs, and Altman himself, reportedly chose not to notify authorities despite receiving warnings from the safety team. Lead counsel Jay Edelson asserts that the company prioritized concerns about regulatory scrutiny and public relations over public safety. OpenAI’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon issued a statement defending the organization’s commitment to safety protocols and the professionalism of its staff. The company has also faced separate legal challenges involving allegations that ChatGPT encouraged self-harm and contributed to a shooting at a Florida university.
The incident occurred at a secondary school following Van Rootselaar’s killing of her mother and 11-year-old brother. The lawsuits involve families of victims, as well as school staff and students present during the attack. Altman previously sent a letter to the Tumbler Ridge community expressing regret about OpenAI’s failure to alert Canadian authorities, though British Columbia’s premier characterized the apology as inadequate given the severity of the harm sustained by affected families.
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