OpenAI Faces 30 New Lawsuits Over Tumbler Ridge Shooting

September 03, 2026
Students, teachers, and a principal allege OpenAI failed to alert authorities after its systems flagged the shooting suspect's ChatGPT conversations.
OpenAI Faces 30 New Lawsuits Over Tumbler Ridge Shooting

OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman face 30 new lawsuits related to the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in British Columbia, according to The Verge. Students, teachers, and a principal who were at the school filed the complaints in a California federal court on Wednesday.

The lawsuits allege that OpenAI's automated review system flagged the suspect's ChatGPT conversations about gun violence before the attack. They claim a safety team recommended contacting Canadian authorities, but company leaders decided not to report the conversations. The plaintiffs accuse OpenAI of providing substantial assistance and encouragement to the suspect.

OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon said the complaints contain false claims about the company's safety teams. He also denied that chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane participated in the original referral decision or managed the investigators involved. Seven other cases connected to the shooting were filed in April.

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