Chicago – April 25, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologized to the Canadian community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, for not alerting police to alarming ChatGPT activity linked to the man accused in a February mass shooting that killed eight people, including six children at a school.
In a letter dated April 23, Altman said the company was “deeply sorry” it did not report the banned account to law enforcement and acknowledged the “irreversible loss” suffered by the town.
The apology follows reporting that OpenAI had previously flagged the account internally but did not escalate it to Canadian authorities before the attack. British Columbia Premier David Eby shared the letter and called the apology necessary, though insufficient, given the devastation experienced by families in the community.
OpenAI said it has been reviewing how it handles potentially dangerous interactions and wants to prevent similar failures in the future. The case has intensified scrutiny over how AI companies detect threats and when they should notify law enforcement.
