Editorial illustration for Tumbler Ridge shooter shared scenarios with ChatGPT; OpenAI did not notify police
OpenAI Flagged Shooter's Account Before Tumbler Ridge Attack
Tumbler Ridge shooter shared scenarios with ChatGPT; OpenAI did not notify police
Why does a teen’s conversation with an AI matter to a small British Columbia town? In early March, police in Tumbler Ridge uncovered a series of messages the suspect posted to ChatGPT, outlining how a school attack could unfold. The content wasn’t hidden in a dark web forum; it appeared in a publicly accessible chat, prompting bystanders to flag the exchange as a potential threat.
Yet, when the alerts reached OpenAI, the company chose not to forward the information to authorities. OpenAI’s spokesperson Kayla Wood told The Verge that, while the company consider… The posts raised alarms, but OpenAI declined to alert law enforcement. This decision sits at the intersection of user privacy, corporate responsibility and the growing reality that generative models can become inadvertent confession booths.
As the investigation proceeds, the question looms: what obligations do AI providers have when users disclose violent intent?
**Suspect in Tumbler Ridge school shooting described violent scenarios to ChatGPT**
Suspect in Tumbler Ridge school shooting described violent scenarios to ChatGPT The posts raised alarms, but OpenAI declined to alert law enforcement. The posts raised alarms, but OpenAI declined to alert law enforcement. OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood told The Verge that, while the company considered referring the account to law enforcement, it was ultimately decided that it did not constitute an "imminent and credible risk" of harm to others.
Wood said that a review of the logs did not indicate there was active or imminent planning of violence. The company banned Rootselaar's account, but it does not appear to have taken any further precautionary action.
Did the chatbot’s alerts matter? Employees at OpenAI flagged Jesse Van Rootselaar’s descriptions of gun‑related scenarios as potentially foreshadowing real‑world violence, and the system automatically routed the content for review. Their concerns led some staff to urge senior leaders to involve law enforcement, yet OpenAI ultimately chose not to notify police.
Kayla Wood, speaking for the company, said the firm “considers” such reports, but the statement stops short of explaining the decision‑making process. The suspect later carried out the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, a fact that now casts a shadow over the internal deliberations. It remains unclear whether a different response from OpenAI could have altered the course of events.
The episode underscores a tension between automated content monitoring and human judgment in high‑stakes contexts. As the investigation proceeds, questions linger about the thresholds that trigger external reporting and how companies balance privacy, responsibility, and public safety. The facts, as presented, leave the effectiveness of OpenAI’s protocols open to further scrutiny.
Further Reading
- OpenAI Flagged a Mass Shooter's Troubling Conversations With ChatGPT - Futurism
- Tumbler Ridge shooter's ChatGPT activity flagged internally - Global News
- OpenAI contacted RCMP about Tumbler Ridge shooter's ChatGPT account after attack - Coast Reporter
- What we know about Canada's deadliest school shooting in years - ITV News
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Common Questions Answered
What actions did OpenAI take regarding Jesse Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account before the Tumbler Ridge shooting?
[cbc.ca](https://cbc.ca) reports that OpenAI banned Van Rootselaar's account in June 2025 after detecting misuse through automated tools and human investigations. The company stated that the account's activity didn't meet their 'higher threshold' for referring the case to law enforcement, which requires an 'imminent and credible risk' of serious physical harm.
Why didn't OpenAI notify law enforcement about Jesse Van Rootselaar's potentially threatening ChatGPT interactions?
According to [cbc.ca](https://cbc.ca), OpenAI determined that Van Rootselaar's account activity in June 2025 did not meet their threshold for reporting to authorities. The company's internal policy requires evidence of an 'imminent and credible risk' of serious physical harm, which they believed was not present in this case at the time.
What were the details of the Tumbler Ridge shooting that Jesse Van Rootselaar was responsible for?
[cbc.ca](https://cbc.ca) reports that Van Rootselaar killed eight people in the northeast B.C. community on February 10, including five children and an education assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, before taking her own life. The incident shocked the small community and raised questions about potential warning signs that might have been missed.