Tumbler Ridge shooter's ChatGPT use "more disturbing" than known: reporter
A Mother Jones reporter revealed that the Tumbler Ridge shooter used ChatGPT to plan the attack and evade security protocols in ways more extensive than previously known. The chat logs show the shooter framing violent scenarios as hypothetical to obtain specific tactical advice from the AI. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma is now calling for changes to the Criminal Code in response to these findings.
- ▪Mother Jones editor Mark Follman reviewed significant portions of the chat history between Jesse Van Rootselaar and ChatGPT.
- ▪The report indicates the shooter used a second account to ask about the effectiveness of shotguns in classrooms by framing them as fictional scenarios.
- ▪OpenAI admitted to failing to notify Canadian authorities about the flagged activity and missing a second account created by the shooter.
- ▪B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma is advocating for Criminal Code changes following the publication of the new details.
- ▪The Tumbler Ridge shooting resulted in the deaths of eight people, including five students and an education assistant.
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| Original publisher | CBC |
| Canonical URL | https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mother-jones-chatgpt-safeguards-tumbler-ridge-bc-shooter-9.7358031 |
| Publication time | Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:44:29 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-06T21:12:28.162Z |
| Last seen | 2026-10-06T21:12:41.265Z |
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British ColumbiaDetails of how Tumbler Ridge shooter used ChatGPT 'far more disturbing' than previously known, reporter saysA Mother Jones magazine reporter says through his reporting he was able to review "significant portions" of the chat history between shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot in the time leading up to the attack, some of which is detailed in his reporting.According to Mother Jones report, ChatGPT told shooter to use hypothetical situations to avoid flagAndrew Kurjata, Lauren Vanderdeen · CBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2026 9:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 26PlayListen to this articleEstimated 8 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CBC.