Why OpenAI Wants the Tumbler Ridge Lawsuits Heard in British Columbia

OpenAI has filed motions to dismiss more than three dozen lawsuits that were filed in California by survivors and families of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting.

The lawsuits stem from the Feb. 10 attack in which 18‑year‑old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people, including six children, in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.

Plaintiffs claim that ChatGPT played a role in the mass shooting and that OpenAI failed to warn authorities even though the company had flagged the shooter’s account for gun‑violence planning.

In its motions, OpenAI argues that the cases should be heard in British Columbia, invoking the legal concept called “forum non conveniens.”

OpenAI says most of the evidence and the witnesses are located in British Columbia and that the province has a “uniquely strong sovereign interest” in resolving the actions at home.

The company adds that a British Columbia court would be better placed to consider Canadian law‑enforcement practices, firearms regulations and provincial institutions, which differ from California law.

OpenAI maintains it will fight the allegations wherever the lawsuits are ultimately tried, but it believes the legal battle belongs in the jurisdiction most connected to the facts.

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