OpenAI debated calling police about suspected Canadian shooter’s chats

An 18-year-old who allegedly killed eight people in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, reportedly used OpenAI’s ChatGPT in ways that alarmed company staff. Jesse Van Rootselaar’s chats describing gun violence were flagged by tools that monitor the company’s large language model and banned in June 2025.

Staff debated whether to contact Canadian law enforcement but ultimately did not. An OpenAI spokesperson said Van Rootselaar’s activity did not meet the criteria for reporting to law enforcement; the company reached out to Canadian authorities after the incident.

The ChatGPT transcripts were not the only concerning part of Van Rootselaar’s digital footprint. She apparently created a game on Roblox simulating a mass shooting at a mall and also posted about guns on Reddit, and local police had been called to her family’s home after she started a fire while under the influence of unspecified drugs.

Canada, Tumbler Ridge

openai, chatgpt, van rootselaar, tumbler ridge, canada, mass shooting, roblox, reddit, content moderation, law enforcement