An 18-year-old former student has been identified as the perpetrator of one of Canada’s most devastating mass shootings in recent history, leaving eight people dead and dozens injured in the remote British Columbia community of Tumbler Ridge. Jesse Van Rootselaar, a local resident who dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years ago, carried out the attack on February 10, 2026, first killing two family members at home before opening fire at the school, then dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The tragedy unfolded in Tumbler Ridge, a small mining town of about 2,400 people roughly 700 miles north of Vancouver. Police responded to reports of gunfire at a private residence, where they discovered the bodies of a 39-year-old woman—Van Rootselaar’s mother—and an 11-year-old boy, her stepbrother. The suspect then proceeded approximately two kilometers to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she unleashed a barrage that killed six more victims: a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, one 12-year-old boy, and one 13-year-old boy. At least 25 others were injured, some critically, in the chaos that forced students and staff to hide for hours as lockdown protocols activated.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald identified Van Rootselaar at a press conference the following day, confirming she was born biologically male but began transitioning to female approximately six years earlier. Authorities used her chosen name and female pronouns throughout the briefing. McDonald noted that Van Rootselaar had a previously valid firearms license that had lapsed, and police had responded to multiple mental health-related calls at the family home in recent years, including one as recently as May 2025. During those interactions, firearms were seized temporarily but later returned. The suspect acted alone, with no indication of accomplices or specific targeting of individuals.
The attack ranks as Canada’s deadliest school shooting since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre and one of the worst mass shootings overall since the 2020 Nova Scotia rampage that claimed 22 lives. Eyewitness accounts described terror as students fled with hands raised, police helicopters overhead, and officers swarming the building. Survivors recounted hiding in classrooms, hearing gunshots echo through hallways, and the overwhelming fear that gripped the tight-knit community.
Van Rootselaar’s background has drawn intense scrutiny. Having dropped out of the very school she targeted four years prior—around age 14—details about her life remain limited due to privacy considerations and the ongoing investigation. Police described prior mental health interventions, including apprehensions for assessment and follow-up care, but emphasized it was too early to speculate on motive. No manifesto or clear ideological driver has emerged publicly, though the personal connection to the school and family killings suggest possible grievances tied to home life or past experiences.
The community of Tumbler Ridge, nestled in the Rocky Mountains and reliant on coal mining, has been left reeling. Residents gathered for vigils, sharing stories of the victims: young children full of promise, a dedicated teacher who nurtured generations, and a family shattered by unimaginable loss. Provincial and federal leaders expressed condolences, with calls for reflection on mental health support, firearms access, and school safety in rural areas. Canada’s strict gun laws—requiring licenses, background checks, and safe storage—did not prevent the tragedy, renewing debates about enforcement, red-flag mechanisms, and intervention in high-risk cases.
Investigators continue piecing together the timeline, examining digital evidence, witness statements, and the weapons used—a long gun and a modified firearm, per preliminary reports. The RCMP has urged patience as the probe unfolds, warning against speculation that could retraumatize survivors. Mental health resources have flooded the area, with counselors supporting students, families, and first responders grappling with the aftermath.
This mass shooting highlights vulnerabilities even in Canada’s relatively low-violence landscape. For a town where everyone knows each other, the betrayal by a former resident who returned to inflict such pain has deepened the wound. As funerals begin and the nation mourns, questions linger: Could earlier interventions have changed the outcome? What signs were missed in a young person’s descent? And how will Tumbler Ridge heal from a scar that will endure for generations?
Van Rootselaar’s actions claimed innocent lives and ended her own, leaving behind grief, anger, and a desperate search for understanding in the quiet mountains of British Columbia.
