A report first published by the Wall Street Journal says that OpenAI employees pushed internally to notify Canadian law enforcement about Jesse Van Rootselaar after he used ChatGPT to “discuss scenarios involving gun violence over the course of several days.”
Van Rootselaar killed 8 at a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
According to the Journal, OpenAI’s management decided not to contact law enforcement.
OpenAI said the activity did not meet its threshold for reporting to law enforcement because it did not present a credible, imminent risk of serious physical harm. In other words, while the content raised concerns, the company said it did not see enough verified, near-term intent or operational planning to justify involving authorities.
After the February 2026 attack, OpenAI said it proactively contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is cooperating with investigators. RCMP representatives have said they are conducting a broad review of the suspect’s digital and physical evidence as part of the investigation.
