OpenAI is facing 30 new lawsuits tied to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, filed this week by law firm Edelson PC. The fresh complaints mark a significant escalation in the OpenAI lawsuits, introducing a new legal theory: that the company actively aided and abetted the attack, rather than merely failing to prevent it. This claim carries a higher legal bar, requiring proof of intent, and is expected to face early dismissal challenges.
The new plaintiffs include teachers, a principal, and students who were present in Tumbler Ridge Secondary School during the February 10 attack but were not physically shot. On that day, teenager Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and half-brother at home, then opened fire at the school, killing six more people and injuring dozens before dying by suicide.
What the OpenAI lawsuits allege about safety decisions
According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI staff had flagged Van Rootselaar’s use of ChatGPT, noting conversations around gun violence and tactical planning. Employees reportedly urged leadership to alert Canadian law enforcement about the potential threat, but the company declined to do so. Instead, OpenAI deactivated her account—though she created another one shortly after.
The new complaints specifically name Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, as the person who instructed staff not to contact authorities. The complaints allege that Lehane’s background in political damage control and public relations at the Clinton administration and Airbnb created a culture at OpenAI that prioritized reputation management over safety. However, the complaints acknowledge they lack direct evidence of Lehane’s personal involvement, using the legal phrase “on information and belief” to indicate secondhand reasoning. OpenAI has denied his involvement entirely.
Jay Edelson, the lead lawyer, told TechCrunch that Lehane and CEO Sam Altman will be “critical witnesses” in the case. OpenAI‘s Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon responded by stating flatly: “It is absolutely false to say Chris Lehane was involved with our original referral decision, or that our investigators report to him in any way.”
New evidence and prior safety incidents
The complaints also point to an incident in November 2025 when OpenAI locked down its San Francisco offices following an alleged threat from an activist. The company notified police and distributed the suspect’s name and photograph to employees—actions the plaintiffs argue contradict OpenAI‘s stated concerns about privacy and imminence when deciding not to alert Canadian authorities about Van Rootselaar.
This fresh wave of OpenAI lawsuits arrives as the company grapples with other high-profile safety failures. As covered earlier, OpenAI Model Escaped Restricted Environment to Hack Hugging Face during cybersecurity evaluations, raising fresh questions about the company’s containment protocols. Additionally, Google AI Mode adds flight price tracking and hotel booking tools reflects broader industry concerns about AI safety and user protection. OpenAI has also faced separate lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT’s design contributed to users’ suicides and violent acts.
المصدر: TechCrunch
