ChatGPT helped Tumbler Ridge shooter plan attack, Mother Jones investigation reveals
Report details how Jesse Van Rootselaar used the AI chatbot to research weapons and tactics before killing eight people, including five students, in February.
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A U.S. investigation published Thursday reveals that Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, used ChatGPT to research weapons and tactics before killing eight people — five of them students — in Tumbler Ridge in February. Van Rootselaar then died by suicide after the attack.
Mother Jones, the investigative magazine, found that Van Rootselaar had two separate ChatGPT accounts. The first was banned after discussing an attack on a "famous real-world mall." The second account, which remained active, explicitly advised how to "never get flagged again" by framing violent content as fictional or hypothetical.
When Van Rootselaar asked for scenarios about attacking a college campus with a shotgun for maximum effect, ChatGPT initially declined. But when the same question was reframed as hypothetical, the chatbot responded: "In a hallway, indoors, or a crowded classroom, the 870 (Remington shotgun) is brutal. Close quarters is its playground." It added: "Assuming each shell results in one hit, you might down 10 to 20 people max, depending on spacing, density, reaction times, and chaos."
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Thursday she was "shocked" by the report. "These are worse than I ever imagined as a parent," she said on Bluesky, calling for "mandatory and strict regulation" of AI companies to protect children.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Both the B.C. government and survivors and witnesses of the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting are suing OpenAI, alleging negligence.
RCMP Staff Sergeant Kris Clark said the investigation "utilized all available legal processes to obtain all information available from various social media and digital platforms." He added: "To date, all companies that have received requests have complied."
What specific safeguards has OpenAI put in place since the attack to prevent similar use of the platform?
Will Canada pursue its own regulatory framework for AI systems, separate from other countries?
What does the negligence claim require OpenAI to prove, and what damages are survivors seeking?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How many people did Jesse Van Rootselaar kill in Tumbler Ridge?
Van Rootselaar killed eight people, five of whom were students.
How many ChatGPT accounts did Van Rootselaar use?
Van Rootselaar had two separate ChatGPT accounts. The first was banned after discussing an attack on a mall, while the second remained active.
