Overview
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized in a letter dated April 23 that British Columbia’s premier shared Friday, admitting the company did not report a banned ChatGPT account later linked to the shooter.
- OpenAI says staff flagged and banned the account in June 2025 for discussions of gun violence but concluded the activity did not meet its bar for a credible or imminent threat to others.
- The February attack in Tumbler Ridge left eight people dead, including schoolchildren and an educator, and 25 injured before 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar died by suicide, according to authorities.
- OpenAI says it has added mental-health and behavioral experts to review hard cases and made referral rules more flexible, stating the same account would be referred to police under its current process.
- Backlash and scrutiny continue, with BC Premier David Eby calling the apology grossly insufficient, a victim’s family suing in March, and U.S. officials probing other incidents, fueling calls for clear reporting standards and cross-border coordination.