British Columbia, Canada, files a lawsuit against OpenAI over the Tumbler Ridge shooting

British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma issued a statement on September 21 announcing that the province has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in California, alleging that it failed to notify law enforcement about threats that appeared on its platform before the mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The lawsuit relates to the incident of February 10, 2026, and the province is working with School District 59 Peace River South to advance the case. Sharma said the case concerns the responsibility technology companies should bear when they learn of credible serious violence threats, and highlights the need for strong national safeguards for AI and online platforms. She has written to federal ministers Fraser, Solomon, and Miller proposing policy changes to the Canadian Criminal Code to establish a path for accountability for AI conduct. The statement says OpenAI has so far taken no substantive steps to respond to the concerns of survivors, families, and the community, and calls on it to strengthen safeguards and increase transparency.