OpenAI CEO apologizes to Tumbler Ridge community

In a letter to the residents of Tumbler Ridge, Canada, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he “deeply regrets” that his company failed to notify law enforcement about the suspect in a recent mass attack.

After police identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as a suspect in a shooting that reportedly killed eight people, the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI had flagged and banned Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account in June 2025 for describing scenarios involving gun violence. Company personnel debated notifying the police, but ultimately decided against it, ultimately reaching out to Canadian authorities after the shooting.

OpenAI has since said it is improving security protocolsfor example by establishing more flexible criteria for determining when accounts are referred to authorities and by establishing direct points of contact with Canadian law enforcement.

In Altman’s letter, which was first published in local newspaper Tumbler RidgeLinesthe CEO said he had discussed the shooting with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and British Columbia Premier David Eby, and all agreed “a public apology was necessary” but “time was also needed to respect the community as you grieve.”

“I deeply regret that we did not notify law enforcement about the account that was banned in June,” Altman said. “While I know words are never enough, I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the damage and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”

Altman also said that OpenAI’s focus “will continue to be on working with all levels of government to ensure that nothing happens again.”

In a post on XEby said Altman’s apology is “necessary, and yet grossly inadequate for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge.”

Canadian officials said it is considering new regulations on artificial intelligence but no final decisions have been made.

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