OpenAI Apologizes for Not Reporting Canada Mass Shooter

5 hours ago 3

April 25, 2026 | 02:30 pm

Illustration of a shooting. annahar.com

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologized to the Canadian town of Tumbler Ridge following a February mass shooting that left eight dead.

Altman said he was "deeply sorry" the company didn't alert the police about the shooter's troubling ChatGPT accounts.

Britich Colombia Primier David Eby called the apology "necessary, and yet grossly insufficient."

How did OpenAI fail to act?

An 18-year-old transgender woman killed her mother and stepbrother at home on February 10, before going to a local secondary school and opening fire. She killed five children and a teacher, then took her own life.

After the attack, OpenAI said it had identified the suspect’s account through its abuse detection systems and banned it in June, eight months before the shooting.

The ChatGPT developer said it did not report the account to Canadian police at the time, as the activity did not meet its threshold for referral to law enforcement.

"I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June," Altman said. “While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”

How does ChatGPT report suspected violance?

OpenAI says it uses automated moderation systems that scan content in real time. Accounts can be restricted or banned for violating the rules. Violations include sexual exploitation, support of self-harm and suicide, and promotion of violence and harm.

In serious cases, systems are designed to flag high-risk behavior for human review. If a credible threat is identified, the company may share relevant account data with law enforcement.

Following the attack, Canadian officials summoned OpenAI’s safety team and warned of regulation actions if changes were not made. The company said it would tighten its safety measures and had created a direct contact channel with police.

In the letter, Altman said the company is committed to find ways to prevent similar tragedies. "Going forward, our focus will continue to be on working with all levels of government to help ensure something like this never happens again," he said.

The family of a girl who was seriously injured in the shooting has filed a negligence lawsuit against the US tech giant.

Read: Google Confirms Gemini AI to Power Apple's New Siri in 2026

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