Days after the Canada school shooting, OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, revealed that it was aware of Jesse Van Rootselaar’s online activities. The 18-year-old shooter was identified as the suspect in the fatal shooting, claiming eight lives, in British Columbia.
The Canadian school shooting is one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history. Rootselaar died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
OpenAI said that the company identified the account of Rootselaar via abuse detection efforts for “furtherance of violent activities” last June.
While the tech firm considered involving the RCMP, it ultimately decided against a referral, determining the account’s behaviour did not meet the criteria for police investigation at that time.
Rootselaar’s account was banned by OpenAI for violating its usage police in June 2025.
OpenAI’s revelation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, OpenAI declined to involve law enforcement after determining the user did not pose a credible or imminent threat of physical harm—the company’s primary standard for such referrals.
After the school shooting, OpenAI said that the employees reached out to the RCMP with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy,” an OpenAI spokesperson said. “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.”
Rootselaar first killed her mother and stepbrother at the family home before the fatal shootings at a nearby school.
The suspect had a history of mental health contacts with police, and the motive behind the shootings remains unclear.
According to the authorities, the investigators have said that the case remains under active investigation as authorities continue to examine both physical and digital evidence linked to the suspect.
