B.C.’s chief coroner has announced an inquest into the horrific mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge that left nine people dead last month. Dr. Jatinder Baidwan said the coroner’s inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and make evidence-based recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future. “A key area of examination will be how individuals in crisis are identified and supported, including access to mental health supports and services in rural and remote and small communities across British Columbia,” Baidwan told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. The inquest could also consider other factors such as “how mental health and public safety systems intersect with firearms oversight,” and “how information is shared between online platforms, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and law enforcement,” the chief coroner said. OpenAI has confirmed a ChatGPT account connected to shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar was banned last year, and that the company considered notifying police about concerning interaction that violated its policies but ultimately chose not to do so. B.C. Premier David Eby has called that decision a “colossal” mistake. Baidwan said the B.C. Coroners Service doesn’t have the power to compel OpenAI—the American firm that owns ChatGPT—to participate in the inquest, but that most businesses will co-operate because it’s in their best interests. Baidwan offered condolences to the Tumbler Ridge community, and particularly the families devastated by what was one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history. “A community has been left reeling,” he said. “I cannot begin to imagine the grief you’re experiencing.” The BCCS has a unique role in looking at the deaths openly and in a way that will maintain public confidence, Baidwan added. The inquest will also cover “broader issues of community awareness, education and support” as well as “matters related to gender-diversity, where relevant to the evidence,” he said. With files from The Canadian Press
