OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologized to the people of Tumbler Ridge after the February mass shooting that killed eight residents. Altman said he was “deeply sorry” the company did not notify police about troubling ChatGPT accounts connected to the shooter.
The incident: An 18-year-old transgender woman allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother at home on February 10, then went to a local secondary school and opened fire, killing five children and a teacher before taking her own life. In the wake of the attack, OpenAI said it had identified and banned the suspect’s account in June — eight months before the February shooting — but did not report it to Canadian authorities because the activity did not meet the company’s threshold for law-enforcement referral.
Altman acknowledged the company’s failure to alert police. “I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June,” he wrote, adding that while words cannot undo the harm, an apology was necessary to recognize the community’s loss.
British Columbia Premier David Eby called the apology “necessary, and yet grossly insufficient,” signaling dissatisfaction with the company’s response.
How OpenAI handles suspected threats: The company says it uses automated moderation that scans content in real time and can restrict or ban accounts for violations such as sexual exploitation, promotion of violence, or support of self-harm. In high-risk situations, the systems are supposed to flag content for human review, and if a credible threat is identified, OpenAI may share account data with law enforcement.
After the shooting, Canadian officials summoned OpenAI’s safety team and warned of regulatory action if changes were not made. OpenAI has said it will tighten safety measures and has established a direct contact channel with police to improve information sharing.
Legal action: The family of a girl who was seriously injured in the attack has filed a negligence lawsuit against the company.
Altman wrote that OpenAI is committed to working with governments at all levels to try to prevent similar tragedies in the future.