"Failed to Report Shooter Account Despite Known Risks"... Canadian Provincial Government Sues OpenAI

The government of British Columbia, Canada, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that their failure to alert the police about the ChatGPT account of a suspected shooter prevented the prevention of a major mass shooting incident.

Reuters Yonhap News

The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 21st (local time) that the British Columbia government filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The case, brought by the province's Attorney General and the local Board of Education, adds to a series of lawsuits that survivors and families of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge incident have filed against OpenAI.

This lawsuit is related to a mass shooting that occurred at a remote school in British Columbia in February. Nine people, including the shooter, were killed and many others were injured. The complaint also includes information previously reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in February. According to the filing, OpenAI's automated monitoring system flagged the shooter's account in June 2025—several months before the shooting—and escalated it for employee review.

The review team then determined that the account posed a "concrete and credible risk of harm to others." The team recommended that the account be reported to the police. However, management rejected the recommendation and simply deactivated the account. Afterwards, the shooter continued using ChatGPT by creating a second account.

The complaint asserts, "If OpenAI had issued a warning to law enforcement or the school, this mass attack could have been prevented." It also argued that OpenAI was already aware of such risks, citing two other incidents in the United States in which attackers used ChatGPT in preparation for their crimes.

CEO Altman apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community for failing to alert law enforcement agencies about the activity on the shooter's account. David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, called in March for the introduction of a new federal-level "duty to report" regulation for AI companies.

Niki Sharma, Attorney General of British Columbia, said she had sent letters to Canada's Minister of Justice and the ministers in charge of AI and culture, sharing her views on how the criminal code could be amended so that humans are held accountable for the actions of AI. She added, "Companies still have an opportunity to demonstrate responsibility by strengthening safety measures, increasing transparency, and taking concrete action to prevent similar tragedies in the future."

OpenAI stated, "We will continue collaborating with government and law enforcement officials and further strengthen our ongoing safety efforts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.