The parents of a girl critically wounded in a Canada school shooting filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company had advance warning that the shooter was using its chatbot to plan a mass attack. The suit, filed in British Columbia Supreme Court, names OpenAI and seeks damages on behalf of Maya Gebala, according to the Associated Press report.
The complaint alleges that OpenAI had “specific knowledge of the shooter utilizing ChatGPT to plan a mass casualty event like the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.” The lawsuit further alleges that ChatGPT “behaves willingly to assist users such as the shooter to plan a mass casualty event,” describing the chatbot as a “trusted confidante, collaborator and ally” to the attacker.
OpenAI disputed key parts of the plaintiffs’ account through earlier statements, saying it considered alerting police about the shooter’s activities but did not do so. OpenAI also said it later came forward to police after Jesse Van Roostselaar killed eight people and then herself last month.
In its earlier account, OpenAI said the attacker’s ChatGPT account had been closed, but that Van Roostselaar “evaded the ban by having a second account.” The parents’ lawsuit and OpenAI’s description of what the company did after the account issues differed in timing: the suit focuses on alleged pre-attack knowledge, while OpenAI described its post-attack disclosure to police.
According to the lawsuit, Gebala was shot three times at close range during the Feb. 10 attack, with one bullet hitting her head, another her neck and the third grazing her cheek. The filing says those injuries left her with a catastrophic brain injury and permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.
The Associated Press said it contacted OpenAI for comment and that a spokeswoman did not immediately respond. The lawsuit adds a new chapter to the ongoing debate about when, and how, companies behind AI tools should act on signals that may relate to violence.
The case also lands as Canadian authorities and communities continue to process the killing in Tumbler Ridge, where the Feb. 10 shooting left families and residents searching for answers about warning signs and public safety. For the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, OpenAI’s alleged role in the planning phase is central; for the company, the question is whether it had enough actionable information to intervene before the attack.