OpenAI reportedly monitored concerning activity by an 18-year-old who allegedly killed eight people in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the individual, Jesse Van Rootselaar, used ChatGPT in ways that described gun violence and triggered the company’s internal misuse-detection tools, resulting in a ban in June 2025.

Company staff debated whether to contact Canadian law enforcement after noticing the troubling chat activity, but ultimately did not. An OpenAI spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that Van Rootselaar’s behavior did not meet the company’s threshold for mandatory reporting at that time. After the shooting occurred, OpenAI proactively shared information with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to assist in the investigation.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy,” OpenAI said in a statement. “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.”

Additional parts of Van Rootselaar’s digital footprint raised concerns. She reportedly created a Roblox game simulating a mass shooting at a mall and posted content about firearms on Reddit. Local police were also aware of her instability, having responded to her family home after she started a fire while under the influence of drugs.

The incident highlights ongoing debates around large language model safety, with critics pointing to the risk of vulnerable users engaging in harmful behaviors while interacting with AI chatbots. OpenAI and other developers have faced multiple lawsuits over chat transcripts that allegedly encourage self-harm or other dangerous actions.