OpenAI says it will strengthen safety measures after failing to alert police about the Tumbler Ridge shooting suspect's ChatGPT account, despite it being flagged internally months before the attack.

In an open letter to Canadian officials, the company stated the suspect created a second account after the first was banned, evading internal detection systems.

OpenAI has changed how it reports accounts to police and said the suspect's activity would be referred to law enforcement if flagged today.

An account linked to 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar was banned by OpenAI in June 2025 — seven months before the shooting.

Eight people were killed in the 10 February attack at a residence and local secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.

Victims included the suspect's mother and 11-year-old stepbrother, five school children, and an educator. Van Rootselaar died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

In its letter, OpenAI said it implemented changes recently, including enlisting "mental health and behavioural experts" to assess cases and making police referral criteria "more flexible".

The company revealed the suspect created a second account despite past flags by OpenAI systems, which was shared with police after the shooting.

OpenAI committed to strengthening detection systems and establishing a direct point of contact with Canadian law enforcement.

Canada's AI Minister Evan Solomon called it a "failure" and expressed disappointment after meeting with OpenAI, noting all legislative options are on the table.

British Columbia Premier David Eby believes the shooting could have been prevented if OpenAI had alerted police about Van Rootselaar's account earlier.

Eby added that OpenAI's Sam Altman agreed to meet to discuss the company's safety policies.

Source: www.bbc.com