Sam Altman apologizes for OpenAI not reporting mass shooting suspect to law enforcement

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman has apologized for the company's failure to report a ChatGPT user to law enforcement before she carried out a mass shooting in British Columbia. The apology letter, dated April 23, was published Friday by local news site Tumbler Ridgelines and addressed to the community of Tumbler Ridge. The alleged shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed eight people and then herself on Feb. 10. She used ChatGPT, and her first account was suspended in June 2025 after the system detected content that presented as an indication of potential real-world violence. OpenAI banned her but did not report her to law enforcement, and she was able to create a second ChatGPT account that was not discovered until after the shooting. Altman wrote that he is deeply sorry OpenAI did not alert law enforcement when the account was banned in June. He said he believes an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss the community has suffered. He also committed to finding ways to prevent tragedies like this in the future and said OpenAI will continue working with all levels of government to help ensure something like this never happens again. British Columbia Premier David Eby had stated in March that Altman would apologize and call for better regulations. Eby posted on X that the apology is necessary and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge. He said days prior that the investigation into the shooting has reached its final stages. The apology comes after OpenAI announced weeks after the shooting that it would change its safety protocols. It also follows a recent announcement by Florida's attorney general of an investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT after a mass shooting at Florida State University in April 2025. A recent report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that eight in 10 popular AI chatbots assisted in planning violent crimes.