Toronto, Canada - The Canadian province of British Columbia on Tuesday said it was preparing a lawsuit against OpenAI over its role in the tragic Tumbler Ridge school shooting.

The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of failing to report violent ChatGPT activity by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed eight people on February 13 in the deadliest school shooting in Canada since the École Polytechnique massacre of 1989.

OpenAI had banned an account linked to Van Rootselaar in June 2025, months before the shooting, but didn't notify authorities about the concerning activities that triggered the ban.

Canadian families impacted by the February shooting have already filed multiple lawsuits against the US tech giant in a California court. The first lawsuit was filed only a few weeks after the shooting by the family of a girl who was gravely injured.

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In response to the incident, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized for the company's failure to notify the police.

British Columbia said on Tuesday it was preparing a separate case, in coordination with the families, and had retained lawyers both in Canada and California.

Provincial Attorney General Niki Sharma told reporters that British Columbia wanted to "hold OpenAI and its decision-makers accountable for their failure to notify law enforcement of the violent prompts made on its ChatGPT platform by the perpetrator."

"British Columbia has never shied away from taking on powerful corporations when their actions cause harm to people and communities," she added.

She cautioned the legal process will "take time," but said funds derived from a lawsuit would help Tumbler Ridge rebuild.

The province wants to use the courts to "ensure that British Columbians are not left bearing the costs of corporate wrongdoings."

Asked for comment on the province's legal plans, OpenAI said it has "already strengthened our safeguards, including improving how ChatGPT responds to signs of distress."