OpenAI debated calling police about suspected Canadian shooter's chats
TechCrunch • • world
Key Points:
- Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old accused of killing eight people in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, reportedly used OpenAI’s ChatGPT to discuss gun violence, triggering internal misuse alerts and leading to a ban of her account in June 2025.
- OpenAI staff debated whether to report Van Rootselaar’s behavior to Canadian law enforcement but ultimately did not; however, the company contacted authorities after the shooting incident.
- Van Rootselaar’s disturbing digital activity also included creating a Roblox game simulating a mass shooting and posting about guns on Reddit, raising further concerns about her mental state.
- Local police had prior knowledge of Van Rootselaar’s instability, having responded to a fire
