The OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen with output from ChatGPT on March 21, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (AP Photo / Michael Dwyer, File)
By The Associated Press March 9, 2026 at 6:53pm
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The parents of a girl critically wounded in a school shooting in Canada alleged in a civil lawsuit Monday that ChatGPT maker OpenAI knew the shooter was planning a mass attack.
OpenAI has said it considered but didn’t alert police about the activities of the person who months later committed one of Canada’s worst school shootings in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Feb. 10.
OpenAI came forward to police after Jesse Van Roostselaar killed eight people and then herself last month, saying the attacker’s ChatGPT account had been closed but that she evaded the ban by having a second account.
The legal claim filed in the British Columbia Supreme Court alleged that OpenAI had “specific knowledge of the shooter utilizing ChatGPT to plan a mass casualty event like the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.”
The lawsuit said ChatGPT was used by the shooter as a trusted confidante, collaborator, and ally, and that it behaves willingly to assist users, such as the shooter, to plan mass casualty events.
A spokeswoman from OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit said that as a result of the company’s conduct, Maya Gebala was shot three times at close range, with one bullet hitting her head, another her neck, and the third grazing her cheek. It said she has a catastrophic brain injury that will leave her with permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
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