OpenAI faces 30 new lawsuits from Tumbler Ridge shooting witnesses

Thirty new lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman, in connection with the deadly Feb. 10 shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., a Vancouver law firm says. The plaintiffs include staff at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and students who were at the school during the attack.

Rice Parson Leoni and Elliott LLP says the cases were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where seven earlier lawsuits from victims’ families were also filed. The new plaintiffs are seeking OpenAI records concerning its decision not to alert police, along with compensatory and punitive damages and measures intended to prevent future incidents.

Police say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and brother at their home before going to the school, where she killed five students and an educational assistant. She then died by suicide.

OpenAI and Altman drew criticism after it emerged that the shooter’s ChatGPT use in the months before the attack had raised enough concern for the account to be banned, without police being notified. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lawyer John Rice said the new plaintiffs witnessed violence, killings and emergency life-saving efforts. He said the families want justice if the allegations are proven in court.