OpenAI flagged Canadian school shooting suspect’s account months before attack
Company reviewed activity, banned account for policy violations, and later shared data with RCMP as investigators examine digital and physical evidence
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said it had identified the account of a Canadian school shooting suspect months before last week’s deadly attack but determined at the time that the activity did not meet the threshold for notifying law enforcement.
In a statement on Friday, the San Francisco-based firm said its abuse-detection systems flagged the account of 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar in June last year for potential “furtherance of violent activities,” the Associated Press reported.
Company reaches out to police
The company said it considered alerting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) but concluded the activity did not cross the bar required to involve authorities. The account was later banned in June 2025 for violating OpenAI’s usage policies. The Wall Street Journal first reported the disclosure.
OpenAI said its standard for contacting law enforcement is the presence of an “imminent and credible risk of serious physical harm to others,” adding that reviewers did not identify any credible or immediate attack planning at the time.
After the shooting, the company said it contacted Canadian authorities and shared information about the suspect’s use of ChatGPT. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy. We proactively reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT, and we’ll continue to support their investigation,” an OpenAI spokesperson said, according to AP.
Investigators examine digital trail
RCMP Staff Sgt Kris Clark confirmed to the news agency that OpenAI contacted police after the attack. He said investigators are conducting a “thorough review of the content on electronic devices, as well as social media and online activities,” adding that “digital and physical evidence is being collected, prioritised, and methodically processed” as part of the ongoing probe.
Police said Van Rootselaar allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother at their home before carrying out the attack at a nearby school in Tumbler Ridge. The victims included a 39-year-old teaching assistant and five students aged 12 to 13. Authorities said the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials noted the suspect had previous mental-health-related contacts with police, though the motive remains unclear.
The incident is Canada’s deadliest mass killing since the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, in which a gunman killed 13 people and set fires that left another nine dead. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue examining physical and digital evidence linked to the suspect.