An 18-year-old identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar is suspected of committing a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, where eight individuals lost their lives. Disturbingly, it has come to light that Van Rootselaar had engaged in troubling interactions on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, leading to concerns from the company’s staff.
The communication logs detailing gun violence were flagged by OpenAI’s monitoring systems and subsequently banned in June 2025. According to the Wall Street Journal, discussions took place among OpenAI employees regarding whether to alert Canadian authorities, but they ultimately decided against it at the time. An OpenAI representative stated that Van Rootselaar’s interactions did not warrant immediate reporting to law enforcement; however, the company did reach out to authorities following the tragic incident.
In addition to the concerning ChatGPT transcripts, Van Rootselaar had a significant digital presence, including the creation of a Roblox game that depicted a mass shooting scenario set in a shopping mall. Her online activities extended to making posts about firearms on Reddit. Local law enforcement already had prior knowledge of Van Rootselaar’s instability, having been called to her family’s residence in response to an earlier incident involving a fire reportedly started while she was under the influence of unknown substances.
Concerns surrounding the impact of large language model (LLM) chatbots have been growing, with allegations that these AI systems can contribute to mental health crises. There have been multiple lawsuits alleging that chat transcripts from such chatbots have encouraged individuals to consider self-harm.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help by calling or texting 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
