OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had previously banned the account of Canadian transgender school shooter Jesse Van Loetzeler due to his violent behavior on the platform. However, authorities were not informed until after he had tragically killed eight people in one of Canada’s most severe mass shootings.
Last week, the 18-year-old high school dropout carried out the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. He initially killed his mother and stepbrother at home before entering Tumbler Ridge Middle School, where he killed six others and injured 25 more before taking his own life.
The company stated that they flagged Van Loetzeler’s concerning profile through their abuse monitoring system in June and considered notifying the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, they ultimately decided that the behavior did not warrant a report to law enforcement and instead banned his account for policy violations.
After the tragic incident, OpenAI did contact law enforcement. A spokesperson expressed their condolences to those impacted by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, adding that they had proactively reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and shared details regarding Van Loetzeler’s interactions with ChatGPT. They affirmed their commitment to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Authorities in Canada confirmed they were contacted by OpenAI following the shooting, and they are currently examining Van Loetzeler’s online presence.
On February 10, Rousselaer launched a devastating attack in a quiet area of Tumbler Ridge, which escalated into the school shooting. Police reported that six individuals lost their lives at the school, while the bodies of his mother, aged 39, and stepbrother, aged 11, were discovered at their home.
The victims included one female teacher, three female students, and two male students.
