Reuters
(BC, Canada) – The Wall Street Journal first reported that months before Jesse Van Rootselaar was identified as the suspect in a mass shooting that devastated the rural town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, staff at OpenAI debated whether to notify law enforcement about concerning interactions she had with ChatGPT.
According to the Journal’s tech reporting, internal discussions within the company in 2025 flagged troubling exchanges involving violent themes and hypothetical scenarios. Multiple employees reportedly raised alarms and pushed for authorities to be informed. Ultimately, the company decided not to escalate the matter to police at that time.
OpenAI has not publicly detailed the specific content of the interactions but acknowledged that the conversations prompted internal safety reviews. It remains unclear what threshold the company uses to determine when online chatbot activity warrants outside intervention.
The shooting, which shook the small northern British Columbia community earlier this month, has intensified scrutiny on technology companies and their role in identifying potential threats before violence occurs.
Canadian authorities continue to investigate the case, while the reporting has sparked broader debate over the responsibilities — and limitations — of AI platforms when users engage in disturbing or potentially dangerous conversations.
