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OpenAI Considered Alerting Canadian Police Months Before B.C. Mass Shooting

Media reports describe an internal review of an 18-year-old’s ChatGPT shooting-scenario chat that led to an account suspension rather than a police referral.

Overview

  • U.S. outlets, led by the Wall Street Journal on Feb. 20, reported OpenAI had flagged the June 2025 ChatGPT exchange and debated notifying Canadian authorities.
  • Executives concluded the conversation did not meet the company’s reporting threshold and chose not to contact police, according to the reporting.
  • OpenAI suspended the user’s account after the review, the reports said.
  • On Feb. 10 in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, eight people were killed, including two family members at a home and six teachers and students at a school, and the 18-year-old suspect died by suicide.
  • Japanese media on Feb. 21–22 summarized the U.S. reporting and did not cite new statements from Canadian authorities or note legal action against OpenAI in these accounts.