British Columbia and School District 59 sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in California, alleging the company failed to alert law enforcement to ChatGPT threats before the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge Secondary shooting that killed six children and two adults.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said Monday the province is also alleging an unsafe product design and seeking answers for families and the community. The 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police have said. Sharma stated that a conversation on ChatGPT was alarming enough to trigger an internal OpenAI review but was not reported to the RCMP; she said she has not read the chats herself and that OpenAI has refused to disclose them. The government cites an April apology from Altman—“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June”—as an admission that OpenAI identified risk and failed to act. California venue tracks where the non-reporting decision allegedly occurred.

OpenAI called the events an “unspeakable tragedy,” said thoughts remain with victims and the community, and stated it remains committed to working with government and law enforcement while advancing safety work. The province’s claim is separate from victims’ civil suits; Sharma said B.C. seeks recovery of public costs, including rebuilding after the school’s demolition, plus injunctive relief to prevent recurrence. Sharma has also written federal ministers proposing Criminal Code changes for human accountability tied to AI actions. A B.C. RCMP criminal investigation continues, and the chief coroner has ordered an inquest. Province and CBC agree the suit centers on alleged failure to notify police of flagged threats; conflict is OpenAI’s condolences-plus-safety-work posture versus B.C.’s claim that chats were not disclosed and accountability is lacking.