OpenAI has asked a California court to dismiss lawsuits filed by victims and families of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, which occurred on February 10. The company argues that since the incident took place in British Columbia, legal proceedings should also occur there rather than in California where OpenAI is based. Lawyers for OpenAI claim the cases should be moved to a B.C. court due to the location of evidence and witnesses, as well as the interests involved being primarily Canadian.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
OpenAI filed motions with a California court in late September 2023 to dismiss over three dozen lawsuits related to the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, arguing that British Columbia would be the appropriate venue for these cases under legal doctrine called "forum non conveniens." Survivors and families of victims from the tragic event, which occurred on April 4, 2023, in British Columbia, claim that OpenAI and its CEO could have prevented the shooting. OpenAI asserts it will defend against what it deems as "baseless accusations" but maintains that a B.C. court is more suitable for the case due to both evidence accessibility and interest of the parties involved. The tech giant's stance aims to redirect the legal proceedings back to British Columbia, where the incident took place.
Written for “OpenAI Legal Dispute” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 17405 · logged 2026-09-18
OpenAI asks California court to dismiss lawsuits over Tumbler Ridge shooting
asserted
OpenAI → ask → shooting
Tech giant argues British Columbia is best place for legal battle over mass shooting responsibility
OpenAI wants a U.S. judge to dismiss more than three dozen lawsuits filed in California by survivors and families of victims of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting who claim the tech giant and its chief executive officer could have prevented the tragedy.
In motions to dismiss some of the 37 U.S. federal court actions, lawyers for OpenAI claim any legal action related to the deaths and injuries should take place in British Columbia.
uncertain
action → argue → Columbia
The company says it will ultimately defend itself against what it calls "baseless accusations" but insists both private and public interests would be best served by putting the case in front of a B.C. judge.
asserted
interests → say → judge
"California is not the most appropriate forum for claims by British Columbians attacked by a British Columbian in British Columbia," the motion to dismiss reads.
uncertain
motion → attack → Columbia
"British Columbia plainly is an available and adequate alternative forum, so the key questions ... are where the parties can access evidence and which forum has the greater interest.
asserted
forum → access → interest
On Feb. 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people — including six children — before taking her own life.
asserted
Rootselaar → kill → life
Questions about the shooter's interactions with the health care system and police arose in the wake of the tragedy — turning to OpenAI after news reports about Van Rootselaar's use of ChatGPT.
The first lawsuits filed against OpenAI and CEO Altman were filed last spring in California, where the company is headquartered, with another wave of claims following earlier this month.
The claims alleged "ChatGPT played a role in the mass shooting and OpenAI could have, and should have, prevented it."
The victims claim the company flagged the shooter's ChatGPT account for "gun violence and planning" eight months before the attack, but "after a contentious internal debate, made the conscious decision not to warn authorities."
They claim to be suing both Altman and his company "for designing a dangerous product, ignoring the warnings of their own safety team, refusing to notify authorities when they knew the shooter was planning a mass attack, inviting them back onto the platform after deactivating their account, and choosing profit over the lives of the children of Tumbler Ridge.
uncertain
shooter → arise → Ridge
'Forum non conveniens'
OpenAI has filed identical motions to dismiss a number of the suits over the past two weeks, citing a legal concept called "forum non conveniens" to argue that British Columbia is the logical place to bring any legal action related to the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
asserted
Columbia → file → shooting
The company says most of the evidence in the case is in British Columbia as are most of the people likely to serve as witnesses.
asserted
most → say → witnesses
OpenAI also says B.C has a "uniquely strong sovereign interest in having these actions resolved at home."
asserted
actions → say → home
The motion to dismiss claims the court actions will require an examination of the role of "Canadian law enforcement, firearms regulations and British Columbia institutions in the events that preceded the shooting."
OpenAI says the actions would overlap "with Canada’s ongoing examination of its own institutions and policy choices."
"
uncertain
actions → dismiss → institutions
The jury may need to determine, among other questions, whether Canadian law enforcement acted reasonably in returning guns to the home of a mentally unstable teenager who had recently committed arson in an attempt to kill her family and had repeatedly been involuntarily hospitalized under British Columbia’s mental health legislation," the court document reads.
uncertain
document → need → legislation
"The standard of care may turn on Canadian and British Columbia statutes and community practices — which differ from those in California.
uncertain
which → turn → California
Wherever the lawsuits eventually take place, OpenAI says it intends to fight the allegations.
asserted
it → take → allegations
"[The] legal claims — blaming OpenAI for a horrific mass shooting by a deeply troubled teenager after systemic failures by the law enforcement, mental-health care, and educational institutions in her community — are not viable" the motion to dismiss says.
uncertain
motion → blame → community
"Nor are the claims against Samuel Altman, who was not personally involved in the June 2025 review of the shooter’s ChatGPT account or the decision at that time not to refer her account to Canadian law enforcement."
In the wake of revelations about the shooter's ChatGPT history, Altman apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community and said the company has updated its protocols.
uncertain
company → involve → protocols
The B.C. government is also planning legal action against OpenAI, and has since demolished the site of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
asserted
government → plan → School
The Aporia
