OpenAI debated calling police about suspected Canadian shooter’s chats
Jesse Van Rootselaar’s descriptions of gun violence were flagged by tools that monitor ChatGPT for misuse.
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 the company’s staff.
Jesse Van Rootselaar’s chats describing gun violence were flagged by tools that monitor the company’s LLM for misuse and banned in June 2025.
Staff at the company debated whether or not to reach out to Canadian law enforcement over the behavior but ultimately did not, according to the Wall Street Journal. 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.
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