TORONTO: The family of a girl seriously injured in a mass shooting in Canada has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company failed to alert authorities about the suspect’s concerning activity on its ChatGPT platform, lawyers said on Tuesday.
OpenAI had reportedly banned an account associated with Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025 — eight months before the 18-year-old transgender woman carried out a shooting that left eight people dead at her home and a school in the small mining town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia.
The account was suspended due to concerns about potentially violent usage. However, OpenAI said it did not notify police because there was no indication that an attack was imminent.
Lawyers representing Maya Gebala, a 12-year-old who was severely injured in the attack and remains hospitalised, said the lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the technology company.
In a statement, the law firm Rice, Parsons, Leoni and Elliot said the case aims to uncover the full circumstances behind the Tumbler Ridge shooting, hold those responsible accountable and seek compensation for the victims, while also helping prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Current safety protocols
The firm noted that the case involves “extremely serious, though unproven, allegations” against the US-based technology company.
The incident has also drawn the attention of Canadian authorities. OpenAI executives were summoned to Ottawa last month to discuss the company’s security procedures, while British Columbia Premier David Eby held discussions with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
OpenAI said last month that under its current safety protocols it would likely have informed Canadian law enforcement about the account. The company added that it introduced new policy measures several months ago, including consulting mental health, behavioural and law enforcement experts to identify when chatbot interactions could signal a credible threat.
Responding to the lawsuit, OpenAI told reporters that the events in Tumbler Ridge were an “unspeakable tragedy” and reiterated its commitment to working with governments and law enforcement to prevent similar incidents.
Gebala’s lawyers said the young girl remains in critical condition after undergoing multiple emergency brain surgeries and other life-saving procedures. Although her condition has stabilised, her long-term recovery remains uncertain.
According to investigators, Van Rootselaar first killed her mother and brother at their home before going to a local secondary school, where she shot dead five students and a teacher. The attacker later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after police entered the building.
