OpenAI CEO apologizes to Tumbler Ridge after not alerting police

In short: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized to the town of Tumbler Ridge, Canada, after OpenAI did not alert police about a user it had flagged before a mass shooting.

What happened

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, sent a letter to residents of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. In the letter, he said he is “deeply sorry” that OpenAI did not alert law enforcement about a ChatGPT account that the company banned in June 2025.

Police later identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as a suspected shooter in a mass shooting that allegedly killed eight people. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal cited by TechCrunch, OpenAI had flagged and banned the account months earlier after it described scenarios involving gun violence.

OpenAI employees reportedly discussed whether to contact police at the time but decided not to. OpenAI only reached out to Canadian authorities after the shooting.

Altman’s letter was first published in the local newspaper Tumbler RidgeLines. He said he discussed the shooting with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and British Columbia Premier David Eby, and they agreed a public apology was needed, while also allowing time for the community to grieve.

Why it matters

More people use chatbots like ChatGPT for everyday help, and sometimes people also use them in harmful ways. This situation highlights a hard question, when a company sees warning signs, when should it alert authorities (like calling in a concern, similar to reporting a credible threat)? Canadian officials have said they are considering new rules for artificial intelligence, but no final decisions have been announced.

Source: TechCrunch AI