OpenAI sued again over Tumbler Ridge shooting, accused of ignoring AI chatbot misuse warnings

Thirty fresh lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, with plaintiffs—students, teachers, and a principal from the school—alleging the company gave the Tumbler Ridge shooting suspect material help in planning and executing the attack, as reported by TechCrunch.

The core allegations#

The California federal court filings echo claims made by the victims' families in earlier litigation. They argue that OpenAI's internal systems flagged concerning conversations between the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, and ChatGPT about gun violence. Rather than escalate the matter to Canadian law enforcement—a step its own safety team recommended—the company allegedly chose silence, with executives prioritizing the firm's "reputational and financial standing" over public safety.

Account deactivation and continued access#

The suits also target what they describe as inadequate account suspension. Instead of permanently removing the suspect from the platform, OpenAI allegedly only deactivated the account, allowing the person to rejoin by creating a new email address. The plaintiffs claim this ongoing access to the AI tool constituted direct assistance in the planning and execution of the violence.

OpenAI's response#

Jason Kwon, the company's chief strategy officer, pushed back on X, calling the allegations "false claims" and rejecting any suggestion that safety took a backseat to business or public relations concerns. He emphasized that the people involved in these decisions do prioritize safety.

Expanding legal exposure#

OpenAI is simultaneously battling a separate lawsuit filed by Florida, which alleges the company aided multiple shooters, including the suspect behind last year's Florida State University attack.