OpenAI hit with 30 new lawsuits over Tumbler Ridge shooting

Nine people died in British Columbia in February. An 18-year-old opened fire at her own home, then at her high school. On Sept. 2, survivors' lawyers filed 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI and a senior executive. The new claim: OpenAI didn't just fail to stop the attack, it actively helped cause it. That's called 'aiding and abetting' — a far more serious charge than before.

OpenAI has faced wrongful-death and negligence lawsuits before this one. This new wave of filings is different. 'Aiding and abetting' means something specific. It argues OpenAI's product didn't just fail to prevent violence. It actively assisted the shooter — the same theory used against someone who hands over a weapon. The new filings also name a senior OpenAI executive personally, not just the company. OpenAI hasn't laid out a public defense yet, and no court has ruled on any of these claims.

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Will a court actually accept 'aiding and abetting' as a legal theory against an AI company? No judge has tested it yet, and it would set a major precedent either way. If it succeeds, AI companies could face a new kind of liability for how people misuse their products. That would go well beyond today's copyright and privacy fights. If it fails, families like these may have no legal path forward at all. Either outcome will shape how every AI company designs safety systems from here on.