ExclusiveOpenAI's Sam Altman Apologizes to Tumbler Ridge Community

Main Street
569 followers
430 Video Views·Apr 25, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized to Canada's Tumblr Ridge for not flagging controversial
messages on its chat GPT platform sent by the alleged shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rutzelaar.
Rutzelaar, a born biological male and transgender, killed his mother and younger brother before
killing six at a nearby secondary school in the small mountain town on February 10,
according to law enforcement. He was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at
the scene. The family of a girl critically injured during the mass shooting sued OpenAI
in March, saying it had been aware the suspect had been planning an attack but failed to alert
the authorities. In his letter, Altman said the suspect's account had been banned months before
the shooting. I'm deeply sorry we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned
in June. 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. Altman wrote in a letter which
was shared to social media by British Columbia Premier David Ebye on Friday.
