The British Columbia government has hired lawyers in both B.C. and California to pursue legal action to hold OpenAI accountable for its part in the shooting where eight victims were killed in Tumbler Ridge.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said Tuesday that no company or corporate leader should escape accountability when public safety is at risk.

Also killed was 18-year-old shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar, whose use of ChatGPT before the February murders is now the subject of multiple lawsuits against the chatbot’s creator, OpenAI, and company founder Sam Altman.

The attorney general said everyone was shocked when information came out that the shootings might have been prevented had OpenAI reported worrisome actions of the killer to police before the murders.

The B.C. government has a long history of fighting for accountability over corporate wrongdoing and Sharma said it will ensure that B.C. residents aren’t left bearing the costs after the tragedy.

“The events of Feb. 10 will forever remain a dark chapter in our province’s history. Nothing can undo what happened. But the steps I’m outlining today are about seeking accountability and justice. Justice for the families who lost loved ones.”

The province was the first to launch legal action decades ago seeking damages against tobacco manufacturers, and a lawsuit is moving through the courts against those who make and distribute opioids.

Sharma said any legal action the B.C. government would take would remain separate from litigation launched by family and community members.

B.C. would pursue damages on behalf of the government, that would include the cost of building a new school, for example, or other costs the province incurred as a result of the tragedy, Sharma said.

“Again, in early stages of thinking and finalizing that, but at this point, the claim is broad.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last month that the federal government would contribute $200 million toward building a new high school in Tumbler Ridge and to modernize the local health-care centre.

B.C.’s Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said in May that the police investigation into the shooting was in its final stages, and because no criminal trial will be held, the coroner has already called an inquest into the deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.