In a Developing Story, an 18-year-old individual named Jesse Van Rootselaar, alleged perpetrator of a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada that resulted in eight fatalities, reportedly engaged with OpenAI's ChatGPT in conversations that raised concern among the company's staff. Transcripts detailing instances of gun violence were flagged by monitoring tools designed to detect misuse of the LLM, leading to a ban imposed on Van Rootselaar in June 2025. Internal discussions ensued within OpenAI regarding whether or not to contact Canadian law enforcement regarding the suspect's behavior, but no such outreach was initiated, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
An OpenAI spokesperson later stated that Van Rootselaar's activity did not fulfill the criteria for reporting to law enforcement; however, the company did reach out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with relevant information following the incident. The spokesperson also issued a statement expressing condolences to all those affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy: "We proactively reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT, and we’ll continue to support their investigation."
Beyond ChatGPT transcripts, Van Rootselaar's digital footprint included a game created on Roblox, a world simulation platform popular among children, that simulated a mass shooting at a mall. Additionally, the suspect posted about guns on Reddit. Prior to the Tumbler Ridge incident, local authorities had been notified of Van Rootselaar's instability, having responded to a call regarding a fire started by her while under the influence of unspecified drugs at her family's residence.
LLM chatbots like ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI and competitors, have faced accusations of contributing to mental health crises in users who struggle to distinguish reality from digital interactions. Numerous lawsuits have been filed, citing transcripts that encourage self-harm or provide guidance on committing suicide. The upcoming TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 will bring together over a thousand founders and investors for a day dedicated to growth, execution, and the future of technology in these challenging times.
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This post has been updated with comment from OpenAI. For individuals in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at your earliest convenience.
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