On February 24, Bloomberg reported that the Canadian government had summoned OpenAI executives. Prior to this, OpenAI discussed whether to report a ChatGPT user to the police, but ultimately did not do so. Months later, the teen became the sole suspect in a mass shooting.

Canadians pay tribute to shooting victims

Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, was identified by police as a suspect in a shooting in the remote British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge. The case left six children and two adults dead and was one of the worst mass shootings in Canada's history. Van Ruetselaar is believed to have committed suicide after the attack earlier this month.

OpenAI said on Friday that Van Ruetselaar's ChatGPT account was flagged by the system in June 2025. OpenAI's systems scan for potential abuse, including possible violence. At that time, OpenAI considered reporting the account to law enforcement, but found no credible or imminent threats and believed that the reporting threshold was not met. The account was subsequently banned.

Canadian AI Minister Evan Solomon said at a press conference on Monday that OpenAI's senior security director will travel from the United States to Ottawa on Tuesday to meet with him. His team had held talks with OpenAI representatives the day before.

Solomon said media reports of OpenAI's internal deliberations were "deeply troubling," adding that they showed the company "failed to contact law enforcement in a timely manner."

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report OpenAI’s discovery of van Rutselaer. The report, citing anonymous sources, said the suspect had "described scenes involving gun violence" over several days. According to the report, this triggered an internal discussion among about 12 employees within OpenAI, some of whom urged the company to contact the police.

Solomon noted that Canada is advancing legislation that includes privacy protections and so-called "online harms," ​​and said he is working closely with officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Public Safety, the Ministry of Culture and the Province of British Columbia.

"We want to make sure we take every possible step to keep Canadians safe," he said, adding that "we will be watching" OpenAI's explanation of its operating practices and reporting mechanisms.

"Our responsibility and mission is to ensure that Canadians are protected," he said.