Canada Demands Answers From OpenAI After School Shooting

Canada has summoned senior officials from OpenAI to explain why the company did not report suspicious online activity linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old who killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 10.

OpenAI confirmed that in June 2025, it had flagged a ChatGPT account linked to Van Rootselaar for potential violent activity.

The account was banned at the time, but Canadian authorities were not notified because the company determined there was no credible or imminent threat.

Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Minister, Evan Solomon, called the decision “very disturbing”.

Solomon said OpenAI’s senior safety team would meet with Canadian officials in Ottawa on Tuesday to explain the company’s safety protocols.

“I have summoned the senior safety team from OpenAI in the United States to come here to Ottawa,” Solomon said.

“They will come here tomorrow (Tuesday), and we will have a sit‑down meeting to get an explanation of their safety protocols,” he added.

OpenAI stated that it sets a high threshold for involving law enforcement when deciding whether to do so after identifying a suspicious account.

OpenAI claims it chose not to notify Canadian police about Van Rootselaar because her use of ChatGPT did not indicate a credible or imminent attack plan.

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

“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,” it added.

The Tumbler Ridge attack, one of the deadliest in Canadian history, killed Van Rootselaar’s mother, brother, and six others, including five children and a teacher.

Van Rootselaar died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Canada has strict gun laws, and mass shootings are rare.