Lawsuits against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) company behind ChatGPT, are growing in number. On April 29, families of victims in Canada’s deadliest mass shooting filed a suit in a California court, accusing the firm and its CEO, Sam Altman, of staying silent despite seeing signs of the planned attack. They claim OpenAI had flagged the suspect about eight months earlier, but did not alert police to avoid exposing how often users discuss violent acts on ChatGPT.
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Trade NVDA with leverageThis latest legal action adds to the long list of ongoing lawsuits the firm faces, including a high-stakes suit from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Canadian Families Take OpenAI to Court
Court filings show the families are suing OpenAI for negligence and aiding and abetting the attack. On February 10, 18-year-old Jessie Van Rootselaar opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, killing eight people.
The filings claim OpenAI’s systems flagged her account in June 2025 for “gun violence activity and planning.” As a result, a safety team reviewed the chats and urged management to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). However, they allege Altman and other senior leaders blocked the call.
The suits also say that after her account was shut down, Van Rootselaar created a second one and kept planning the attack on ChatGPT. For this reason, lead attorney Jay Edelson, who represents the families, says he plans to file more than two dozen lawsuits against OpenAI in the coming weeks on behalf of others affected by the shooting.
Victims Seek Billions From OpenAI
The lawsuits against OpenAI reveal that the attack left multiple victims dead, including six children, the suspect’s family members, and an education assistant. Among those injured is 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who remains in the hospital after being shot three times, with her lawyers seeking over $1 billion in damages.
The suits also seek an unspecified total amount in damages and a court order forcing OpenAI to overhaul its safety practices, including mandatory rules for reporting violent threats to police. In response, Altman issued an apology letter to the Tumbler Ridge community, stating he was “deeply sorry” the firm did not alert police after the account was flagged.
OpenAI Faces Other Legal Battles
The recent mass shooting case adds to the growing legal pressures on OpenAI. In 2025, the firm faced several lawsuits across the U.S. claiming ChatGPT pushed some users toward self-harm, suicide, and in at least one case, a murder-suicide.
Meanwhile, Florida’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, opened a probe into whether OpenAI played a role in a shooting at Florida State University last April. The incident had killed two people and injured six others.
Separately, Musk is currently fighting OpenAI in a California court. The SpaceX CEO is seeking up to $150 billion in damages over claims that OpenAI betrayed its original mission.
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