OpenAI Sued by Family of Tumbler Ridge Shooting Survivor Over Alleged Failure to Flag Violent Intent
The family of Maya Gebala, a 12-year-aged who remains hospitalized after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 10, 2026, has filed a civil negligence lawsuit against OpenAI. The lawsuit alleges that the artificial intelligence company failed to alert authorities to concerning prompts from the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, related to violence exchanged with OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.
Details of the Lawsuit
The claim was filed in British Columbia Supreme Court on March 9, 2026, on behalf of Maya Gebala and her younger sister, by their mother, Cia Edmonds. The suit details that Maya Gebala was struck by three bullets during the shooting, which resulted in eight fatalities, including the shooter.
OpenAI’s Knowledge of Violent Intent
According to the lawsuit, Jesse Van Rootselaar engaged with ChatGPT on multiple occasions, sharing messages related to armed violence. These interactions led to the closure of an initial account by OpenAI, but without any notification to law enforcement. The suit asserts that the company possessed specific knowledge of the shooter’s plan for a mass casualty event but “took no steps to act upon this knowledge.”
Allegations of Psychological Dependence
The complaint further alleges that features of the GPT-4o version were intentionally designed to foster psychological dependence between users and ChatGPT. The lawsuit claims the chatbot was calibrated to exhibit human-like empathy and validate user emotions.
Age Verification Concerns
The suit also points out that Van Rootselaar was under 18 when she began using ChatGPT. While OpenAI stated that users aged 13 to 18 require parental consent to open an account, the company allegedly did not implement any age verification or consent procedures.
OpenAI’s Response
CBC News reached out to OpenAI for a response to the lawsuit but had not received a statement as of the time of publication. OpenAI previously announced on February 26, 2026, that it would enhance its police referral and repeat offender detection practices following the Tumbler Ridge shooting, after acknowledging it did not flag Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT activity to police last summer CBC News.
Family’s Motivation for the Lawsuit
A statement from the family’s legal representation indicates that the lawsuit aims to uncover the truth surrounding the Tumbler Ridge shooting, establish accountability, and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in Canada CBC News.
Background on the Tumbler Ridge Shooting
Eight people were killed, and two others, including 12-year-old Maya Gebala, were injured in the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on February 10, 2026 Global News. Maya Gebala was attempting to lock the library door to protect other students when she was shot Global News. Jesse Van Rootselaar also killed her mother, Jennifer Strang, and 11-year-old half-brother, Emmett Jacobs, at their home before the school shooting Global News.