British Columbia (BC) Attorney General Niki Sharma held a press conference in Vancouver on July 7, announcing that BC is suing OpenAI over the February 10 Tumbler Ridge mass shooting that left 8 people dead; BC thus becomes the first Canadian province to file a lawsuit against OpenAI.
BC Hires Vancouver's CFM and California's Stranch, Jennings & Garvey Law Firms
According to a statement from BC Attorney General Sharma at the July 7, 2026 press conference, BC has retained two law firms to handle the lawsuit: Vancouver's CFM LLP and California's Stranch, Jennings & Garvey LLP; by hiring counsel in OpenAI's headquarters state (California), BC can directly assess legal remedies in that jurisdiction.
Sharma also cited a Wall Street Journal report, noting that OpenAI employees had expressed concerns about the shooter's usage activities as early as one year before the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
OpenAI Safety Team Flagged Shooter's Account in June 2025, Management Chose to Deactivate Instead of Notifying Police
According to the BC government statement, internal OpenAI reports show that the company's safety team flagged Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account in June 2025 as "firearm violence activity and planning," roughly eight months before the February 10, 2026 shooting; the safety team urged management to notify relevant authorities, but OpenAI leadership directly deactivated the account.
Van Rootselaar subsequently created a second account and continued conversations with ChatGPT. Sam Altman later issued an apology letter in a local Tumbler Ridge newspaper, stating: "I deeply regret that we did not notify law enforcement in a timely manner."
OpenAI's Vice President of Global Policy, Ann O'Leary, also wrote to Canadian officials, outlining improvements to the case referral process and committing to establish a direct liaison channel with Canadian police.
BC's Provincial Claim Includes Cost of Rebuilding Tumbler Ridge Secondary School
According to BC Attorney General Sharma's explanation, BC explicitly compared the OpenAI case to BC's 2018 class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors; those opioid lawsuits were approved this week (the week of July 7) after the BC Court of Appeal dismissed the final appeal.
BC is also set to receive approximately 3.7 billion Canadian dollars from an earlier tobacco settlement, paid over 18 years. Sharma said: "The situation is no different." The provincial claim will include compensation for BC's own losses, including the cost of rebuilding Tumbler Ridge Secondary School—BC Premier David Eby announced in May that the school would be demolished and rebuilt; Ottawa and Victoria jointly committed in June to provide 200 million Canadian dollars (100 million each) for a new high school and upgrades to the medical center.
Expanding OpenAI Legal Front: Multiple Lawsuits from April to June
According to reports, multiple legal actions preceded the BC lawsuit, with the following timeline:
April 29, 2026: Seven families of Tumbler Ridge shooting victims filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, suing OpenAI and Sam Altman individually for negligence and wrongful death, with unspecified damages.
June 1, 2026: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the first U.S. state-led lawsuit against OpenAI, citing the Tumbler Ridge shooting and the 2025 Florida State University shooting.
June 12, 2026: A coalition of multiple state attorneys general launched a joint investigation, issuing sweeping subpoenas to OpenAI requesting documents related to advertising policies, user interactions, and data management.
July 7, 2026: BC announced its lawsuit against OpenAI, becoming the first Canadian province to file such a suit.
OpenAI is preparing for an IPO, with the company potentially valued at up to $1 trillion; each additional legal action introduces regulatory and financial uncertainty to the listing process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is BC suing OpenAI, and what are the main allegations?
According to the BC government statement, the main allegation is: OpenAI's safety team flagged Tumbler Ridge shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account in June 2025 as "firearm violence activity and planning," but management chose to deactivate the account rather than notify law enforcement, allowing the shooter to create a second account and continue usage, ultimately leading to 8 deaths on February 10, 2026.
Which law firms has BC hired to handle the OpenAI lawsuit?
According to the statement from BC Attorney General Sharma's press conference, BC has retained Vancouver's CFM LLP and California's Stranch, Jennings & Garvey LLP; by hiring counsel in California, where OpenAI is headquartered, the goal is to directly assess legal remedies in that jurisdiction.
Besides the BC lawsuit, what other related legal actions is OpenAI currently facing?
According to reports, related legal actions include: a personal lawsuit filed on April 29, 2026 by seven victim families in California; the first U.S. state government lawsuit filed by Florida's AG on June 1; and a multi-state AG joint subpoena on June 12.
