Canadian police have identified the suspect in a school and home shooting in British Columbia as 18-year-old Jesse van Rootselaar. The shooting, one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings, left nine people dead, including the suspect, in the small community of Tumbler Ridge.
Tumbler Ridge Shooting: What We Know
Six victims were found at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, along with the suspect. One victim died while being transported to a hospital, and two more bodies were discovered at a private residence, bringing the total death toll to ten.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said the suspect was “born as a biological male, who… approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female.”
Authorities stated there was no indication that any of the victims at the school were specifically targeted, and many of those killed were young, born in 2012 and 2013.
Police had previously responded to the suspect’s residence on multiple occasions over the past several years due to mental health concerns. The suspect was apprehended for assessment and follow-up under mental health laws, and firearms were seized from the residence approximately two years ago.
Carney Addresses the Nation
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a statement to journalists in Ottawa, calling it a “very difficult day for the nation.” He expressed sympathy for the families affected, stating that parents, grandparents, siblings, and loved ones in Tumbler Ridge were waking up to unimaginable loss.
Carney added, “We will get through this. We will learn from this. But right now, it’s a time to come together, as Canadians always do in these situations, these terrible situations, to support each other, to mourn together and to grow together.” He also ordered flags on all government buildings to be flown at half mast for seven days.
The attack has shocked Canada, where mass shootings are rare compared to the United States. Canada has stricter gun control laws than its southern neighbor, including a ban on assault-style firearms and a freeze on handgun sales.
Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is being dispatched to Tumbler Ridge, an isolated town of fewer than 2,500 residents located more than 1,000km northeast of Vancouver.
Injuries and Community Response
In addition to the ten fatalities, at least two people were hospitalized with serious or life-threatening injuries, and as many as 25 others were treated for non-life-threatening wounds.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka described the community as a “big family.”
British Columbia’s public safety minister, Nina Krieger, credited the “speed and professionalism” of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, noting that a small detachment responded within two minutes.
Police superintendent Ken Floyd confirmed that the suspect described in an initial alert – “female in a dress with brown hair” – was the same individual found dead at the school. He stated that investigators are working to determine a motive but may struggle to find a definitive answer.
A 12-year-old girl is reportedly “fighting for her life” in a Vancouver hospital after being shot in the head and neck, according to a Facebook post attributed to her mother, Cia Edmonds.
The district of Tumbler Ridge issued a statement calling the shooting a “deeply distressing” incident and urged residents to support one another. The Tumbler Ridge secondary school, which has 160 students in grades seven to twelve, will be closed for the remainder of the week, and counseling services will be available.
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