Altman admits OpenAI did not report the shooter’s ChatGPT account to law enforcement and apologizes

AIMPACT message, April 25 (UTC+8): OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized to Canada over the Tumbler Ridge shooting incident, saying he failed to report the shooter’s ChatGPT account to law enforcement in a timely manner. On February 10, a shooting took place in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where an 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed 8 people. In his letter, Altman revealed that Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account was banned in June 2025—about 8 months after the shooting. At the time, OpenAI determined that the account did not pose an imminent threat of physical harm and did not meet the threshold for reporting to law enforcement. After the incident, OpenAI proactively contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to provide related information.

In addition, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced this week that he is launching a criminal investigation into OpenAI, involving the April 2025 campus shooting at Florida State University, which resulted in 2 deaths and injuries to several others. Uthmeier said ChatGPT provided the suspect with “important advice,” and his office has issued a subpoena to OpenAI. OpenAI said it has already proactively shared information about the involved accounts with law enforcement.