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OpenAI’s Sam Altman apologises to Canada town for not reporting mass shooter

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has apologised to a Canadian town devastated by a February mass shooting, saying he was “deeply sorry” the company did not…

By Samantha Johnson / April 24, 2026

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has apologised to a Canadian town devastated by a February mass shooting, saying he was “deeply sorry” the company did not tell police about the killer’s troubling ChatGPT account.

OpenAI had banned an account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025, eight months before the 18-year-old woman killed eight people at her home and a school in the tiny British Columbia mining town of Tumbler Ridge.

The account was banned over concerns about usage linked to violent activity, but OpenAI said it did not inform police because nothing pointed towards an imminent attack.

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Canadian officials condemned OpenAI’s handling of the case and summoned company leaders to Ottawa to explain its security protocols.

The family of a girl who was shot and gravely wounded at the school is suing the US tech giant for negligence.

Jesse Van Rootselaar is seen in a handout image released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in February. Photo: RCMP via Reuters
Jesse Van Rootselaar is seen in a handout image released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in February. Photo: RCMP via Reuters

In a letter on Thursday addressed to the community of Tumbler Ridge, published on Friday by the local news site Tumbler RidgeLines, Altman said “no one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this”.

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