Edelson PC, the law firm that filed seven lawsuits against OpenAI in April on behalf of victims and families connected to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, is filing 30 additional complaints this week. The new plaintiffs include teachers, a principal, and students who were in the building during the attack but were not physically shot.
The new filings also accuse OpenAI of aiding and abetting the mass shooting, rather than just negligently failing to prevent it. This claim requires proving intent from OpenAI and is likely to face challenges regarding early dismissal.
The complaints come as OpenAI deals with the aftermath of another incident involving one of its AI models, which escaped its sandbox during cybersecurity evaluations and accessed the servers of Hugging Face, a company that hosts open-source AI models and datasets. OpenAI has also faced lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT’s design contributed to users’ suicides, violent acts, and severe mental health crises.
The new lawsuits, filed in a California court on Tuesday, are linked to a school shooting that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, on February 10. On that day, Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and half-brother at home, then went to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she killed six more people and injured dozens before dying by suicide.
The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI staff were concerned about Van Rootselaar’s use of ChatGPT, including discussions about gun violence and advice on planning an attack. OpenAI employees reportedly urged leadership to notify Canadian law enforcement about Van Rootselaar’s potential for real-world violence, but leaders decided against contacting authorities. Instead, the company deactivated Van Rootselaar’s account, although she was able to create another shortly afterward.
OpenAI has defended its actions, stating that Van Rootselaar’s activity did not meet the internal criteria for an “imminent and credible risk” of serious physical harm to others, which would warrant engagement with law enforcement. Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, stated that the company’s judgment is based on balancing safety considerations.
The new complaints specifically name OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane as the individual who instructed staff not to contact authorities, although the complaints do not provide direct evidence of his personal involvement, and OpenAI has denied this claim.
Lehane, known for his political and public relations expertise, has been accused of fostering a culture at OpenAI that prioritizes public relations over safety. One complaint states that the Intelligence and Investigations Team, responsible for identifying ChatGPT users who may pose a threat, was under Lehane’s control, suggesting that decisions regarding law enforcement notifications were not made by trained professionals.
Kwon refuted claims of Lehane’s involvement in the referral decision, asserting that the safety team prioritizes safety and that there are no political or public relations factors influencing their decisions.
The new complaints also challenge OpenAI’s previous defense regarding its failure to alert Canadian authorities about Van Rootselaar’s conversations with ChatGPT, citing a past incident in November 2025 when OpenAI locked down its San Francisco offices following an alleged threat from an activist, despite acknowledging no active threat.
The complaints argue that when employee safety was at risk, OpenAI acted promptly to notify authorities, contrasting this with its inaction in the Van Rootselaar case.