OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologizes to Tumbler Ridge community for failing to alert police about shooting suspect

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologised to the residents of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, for the company’s failure to alert law enforcement about a ChatGPT user who was later identified as the suspect in a mass shooting that killed eight people. In a letter published in the local newspaper Tumbler RidgeLines, Altman said he is “deeply sorry” that OpenAI did not alert authorities after banning the suspect’s account in June 2025. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company had flagged and banned 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account after she described scenarios involving gun violence. Staff debated alerting police but ultimately decided against it, reaching out to Canadian authorities only after the shooting. Altman said he had discussed the shooting with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and British Columbia Premier David Eby, and they had agreed “a public apology was necessary.” He wrote that OpenAI’s focus will “continue to be on working with all levels of government to help ensure nothing happens like this again.” OpenAI has said it is improving safety protocols by putting more flexible criteria in place to determine when accounts get referred to authorities, and by establishing direct points of contact with Canadian law enforcement. British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a post on X that Altman’s apology is “necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge.” Canadian officials have said they are considering new regulations on artificial intelligence but have not made any final decisions.