The director of OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, apologized for not having alerted the Police about a user whom the company had flagged for her interest in "violent activities." She murdered two members of her family in February before carrying out a mass shooting at a school in Canada. Just this week, the Florida Attorney General's Office announced an investigation to prove ChatGPT's responsibility in an attack on a US university.

First modification: 04/26/2026 - 02:06

The head of OpenAI wrote a letter apologizing for his company's failure to alert law enforcement about the online behavior of a person who killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.

In the letter, Sam Altman expressed his deepest condolences to the entire community.

"I deeply regret not alerting authorities about the account that was blocked in June," Altman stated. "While I know words are never enough, I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered."

The letter, dated Thursday, April 23, was reposted on British Columbia Premier David Eby's social media and also on local news website 'Tumbler RidgeLines.'

According to police, on February 10, an 18-year-old woman identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother, Jennifer Jacobs, 39, and her stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, 11, in their home in northern British Columbia, before heading to nearby Tumbler Ridge High School and opening fire, killing five children and a teacher before killing herself.

Twenty-five people were injured in the attack.

Read alsoMass shooting in Canada: what is the country's gun regulation like?

Following the shootings, OpenAI stated that in June 2025 the company identified Van Rootselaar's account using abuse detection systems to "encourage violent activities."

The San Francisco tech company stated that it considered referring the account to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but determined at the time that the account activity did not meet the threshold necessary to be referred to authorities. OpenAI blocked the account in June for violating its usage policy.

Eby said that “seemed like the moment when” OpenAI had had a chance to prevent the mass shooting.

In his letter, Altman claimed to have spoken with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and Eby, who conveyed to him the anger, sadness and concern the community felt. It was agreed that a public apology was necessary, but that time was required for the community to grieve.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire community,” Altman said.

"No one should have to endure a tragedy like this. I can't imagine anything worse in this world than losing a child."

“My heart continues to go out to the victims.”

Altman reaffirmed his commitment to finding ways to prevent similar tragedies.

Read alsoShooting in Canada: at least 10 dead in Tumble Ridge; the alleged shooter died

“Going forward, our goal will continue to be to work with all levels of government to help ensure something like this does not happen again,” he said.

Eby, in a social media post, called the apology "necessary, but totally insufficient for the devastation caused to the families of Tumbler Ridge."

Another debate in the US

The apology comes just days after the Florida Attorney General's Office acknowledged that it is treading "uncharted territory," but has decided to begin an investigation to demonstrate the criminal liability of OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, for allegedly providing information that a shooter used to murder two people and wound six others during an attack at a US university.

Read alsoABC of the shooting in Canada: an alleged attacker, two scenarios and at least ten deaths

On April 17, 2025, Phoenix Ikner, then 20 years old, who was studying at FSU, shot indiscriminately at people who were at the Student Union headquarters, killing two of them and wounding six others, before the Police shot him when he refused to respond to the call to stop.

Before his lethal incursion, he had asked different queries to which ChatGPT responded: what were the times of day when the Student Union was busiest, what was the number of victims necessary to guarantee media impact, when was the last school shooting or what would be the reaction if there was one at FSU.

Prosecutor Uthmeier revealed other interactions between Ikner and the OpenAI chatbot, during the press conference in which he announced the criminal investigation and civil actions against ChatGPT.

“The chatbot advised the shooter what type of weapon to use, what ammunition went with each weapon, whether or not a weapon would be useful at close range,” Uthmeier said, “If it were a person on the other side of that screen, we would be accusing them of murder.”

With AP, EFE, Reuters and local media

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