Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — OpenAI workers spotted disturbing ChatGPT interactions from an 18-year-old user in June that described gun violence scenarios over several days. Those posts triggered an internal review and prompted a dozen staffers to push leaders to notify police, according to people familiar with the matter.

The user was Jesse Van Rootselaar, who on February 10 opened fire in the library at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. She killed a female teacher and five students—three girls and two boys aged 13 to 17. Another 25 people suffered injuries in the attack. Police later found Van Rootselaar’s mother and younger brother dead at the family home.

Van Rootselaar had identified as female since age 12, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. Officers had responded to her home multiple times over the years for mental health issues. She quit school at 14 and once faced apprehension under Canada’s mental health act. About two years ago, police seized firearms from the residence under the Criminal Code, according to Dwayne McDonald, British Columbia RCMP deputy commissioner. The legal owner later petitioned successfully to get them back.

Archived social media showed Van Rootselaar at a gun range. She claimed to have 3D-printed a bullet cartridge. Sources said she lived with three relatives, including her mother and brother, who were known in the tight-knit community of 2,500 residents.

OpenAI banned Van Rootselaar’s account after the June posts but held off on law enforcement contact. A company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal the content fell short of escalation criteria. OpenAI trains its software to deter real-world violence prompts, with human review for red flags. Decisions balance user privacy against intervention risks that could distress families unnecessarily, the company said. OpenAI issued a statement expressing thoughts for those affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy.

Elon Musk called OpenAI’s inaction troubling in a post on X.

The assault unfolded around 1:20 p.m. local time. An emergency alert warned Tumbler Ridge residents of an active shooter. Lockdown alarms blared in hallways by 1:30 p.m., directing students and staff to barricade doors. The school, home to 175 secondary students, and its attached elementary shut down for the week.

Liam Irving, whose family knew Van Rootselaar’s mother and brother, described the shock. “There’s not one person in this town right now that’s not affected,” he told the Western Standard. Photos circulating among students showed blood and devastation, he added, making the horror real.

Prime Minister Mark Carney posted his devastation online. “I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders,” he wrote. His office canceled a Halifax trip for a defense strategy announcement and a Munich Security Conference visit.

British Columbia Premier David Eby called it an unimaginable tragedy after speaking with Carney. “I know it’s causing us all to hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight,” Eby told reporters. “I’m asking the people of British Columbia to look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight.”