The family of a 12-year-old girl critically injured in one of Canada's worst mass shootings has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company could have prevented the attack. The shooting occurred on 10 February in the remote mountain town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where an 18-year-old gunman killed eight people, including five school students and a teaching assistant, before dying of a self-inflicted injury.
The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had described violent scenarios involving guns to ChatGPT over several days in June, which an automated review system flagged. OpenAI, which owns the chatbot, banned his account but did not notify Canadian authorities, stating that the activity did not identify 'credible or imminent planning'. The company later discovered a second account linked to the shooter after the first was suspended.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday by Cia Edmonds on behalf of herself and her two daughters, Maya and Dahlia Gebala, both of whom were present during the shooting. Maya, 12, was shot three times, suffering a catastrophic traumatic brain injury, permanent cognitive and physical disability, and other injuries. She remains in hospital. Edmonds and her other daughter, Dahlia, who was not physically injured, have experienced PTSD, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.
The civil claim alleges that ChatGPT was rushed to market without adequate safety studies, and seeks undisclosed punitive damages, describing OpenAI's conduct as 'reprehensible and morally repugnant'. Last week, OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, met virtually with British Columbia Premier David Eby and Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, amid frustration that the company's policies did not require it to report violent content to police. Altman said he would apologise to the community, but no timeline has been given.
Premier Eby has criticised the lack of regulatory framework governing artificial intelligence companies in Canada, stating, 'It's not acceptable that it's up to the companies about whether or not to report, and that needs to change.' OpenAI called the shooting an 'unspeakable tragedy' and said it remains committed to working with officials to prevent future tragedies.
