Van Rootselaar used OpenAI's ChatGPT to seek guidance on committing mass murder, with the chatbot reportedly offering specific tactical advice, including that a Remington 870 shotgun is "brutal" in close-quarters environments like a crowded classroom. On February 10, 2026, he shot his mother and half-brother at home before driving to his school in Tumbler Ridge, where he killed five students and one other individual before taking his own life. The attack was Canada's deadliest school shooting in nearly four decades.
The British Columbia government filed a civil lawsuit in September against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming the company was aware of the conversations and failed to intervene. Families of the victims have also filed separate lawsuits. OpenAI's leadership issued a public apology for not notifying authorities, but the company has not responded to requests for comment on the litigation.
The case has reignited debate over where to draw the line between protecting user privacy and reporting dangerous behaviour. US civil liberties lawyer Jenin Younes told Al Jazeera that requiring companies to screen chats for threats would force them to implement a broad surveillance system that implicates serious civil liberties concerns. At the same time, she noted that AI gives individuals access to information that may facilitate mass casualty events, a concern not easily dismissed.
Earlier this year, US authorities charged a Washington State man with allegedly conspiring with Van Rootselaar to plan the attack, adding another layer of legal complexity to the case.