OpenAI says Tumbler Ridge shooter evaded ban with second ChatGPT account
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
SAN FRANCISCO – Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI says the shooter involved in mass killings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., got around a ban on her problematic use of ChatGPT by having a second account.
The revelation came as the firm outlined a series of “immediate steps” it would be taking in response to the killings.
OpenAI vice-president for global policy Ann O’Leary says the company only discovered the second account after Jesse Van Rootselaar’s name was announced by RCMP.
She says the shooter who killed eight people and then herself on Feb. 10 somehow evaded systems to prevent banned users from creating new accounts, and Van Rootselaar’s second account was shared with law enforcement upon its discovery
The letter to federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says OpenAI commits to strengthening its detection systems to better prevent attempts to evade its safeguards and “prioritize identifying the highest risk offenders.”
O’Leary says the firm will also strengthen protocols about contacting police “when conversations cross the line into an imminent and credible risk,” and it will develop a direct point of contact with Canadian law enforcement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.