Sam Altman apologizes to Canadian community for not reporting shooter
What's the story
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has apologized to the community of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia over a mass shooting incident in February. The apology comes after it was revealed that OpenAI didn't inform law enforcement about the 18-year-old shooter's disturbing online conversations with its AI chatbot, despite staff members flagging the account internally. OpenAI banned the account in June 2025, eight months before the transgender woman killed eight people at her home and a school.
Apology details
Altman's letter was shared by British Columbia Premier David Eby
In his letter dated April 24, Altman expressed deep regret for not alerting law enforcement about the banned account in June. He 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." The letter was shared on social media by British Columbia Premier David Eby.
Account identification
OpenAI's response after the shooting incident
After the shooting, OpenAI revealed that it had identified the shooter's account last June through abuse detection efforts for "furtherance of violent activities." However, despite considering referring the account to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, it was decided at the time that the activity didn't meet a threshold for law enforcement referral. The account was eventually banned in June for violating usage policy.
Future measures
Altman promises to work with governments on such matters
In his letter, Altman said he had spoken with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and Eby about the community's feelings of anger, sadness, and concern. He stressed that a public apology was necessary but time was needed for the community to grieve. "Going forward, our focus will continue to be on working with all levels of government to help ensure something like this never happens again," Altman said in his letter.