British Columbia announced on July 8, 2026, that it is preparing a lawsuit against OpenAI for failing to report violent prompts made on its ChatGPT platform by Jesse Van Rootselaar, the individual who committed a mass school shooting in the province.
OpenAI had banned an account linked to Van Rootselaar in June 2025, several months before the 18-year-old transgender woman killed eight people at her home and a school in the small mining town of Tumbler Ridge.
Families affected by the February shooting have already filed lawsuits against OpenAI in a California court. British Columbia is coordinating with these families and has retained lawyers in both Canada and California to pursue a separate case.
Provincial Attorney General Niki Sharma stated that British Columbia aims to hold OpenAI and its decision-makers accountable for not notifying law enforcement about the violent activity on ChatGPT prior to the tragedy. Sharma emphasized that the province has a history of taking on powerful corporations when their actions harm people and communities.
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