In a tragic mass shooting at a school in Canada, an 18-year-old biological male who identified as transgender killed nine people before taking his own life, prompting controversy over how major news outlets described the suspect's gender. Reuters published an article headlined “Canadian school shooter identified as 18-year-old woman with mental health issues” on Wednesday afternoon, labeling the perpetrator as female despite police acknowledgments of the individual's biological sex.
Police initially referred to the suspect as “a woman in a dress with brown hair” in a Tuesday alert, prior to the individual being identified as transgender named Jesse Van Rootselaar. The incident, described as one of Canada’s worst mass shootings, occurred at an undisclosed school location, leaving nine victims dead.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commander of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, confirmed that the suspect had been identifying as a female for several years despite being born male. Reuters reported that Canadian police identified the suspect—who committed suicide after the massacre—as a woman, echoing the outlet's framing in its coverage.
Author Gerald Posner highlighted the discrepancy in a February 11, 2026, tweet, stating, “The deceased suspect in one of Canada’s worst mass shootings is 18-year-old Jesse Strang, a biological male who ID’s as transgender. Yet all legacy press describes the killer as ‘female.’ Facts should come before ideology.” Posner criticized legacy media for reshaping reality over clarifying it.
The shooting unfolded amid ongoing debates about media reporting on transgender identities in criminal cases. Police descriptions evolved from the initial alert to more detailed statements from McDonald, noting the suspect's long-term gender identification despite biological male status and reported mental health issues.
Reuters' decision to headline the story with “woman” drew scrutiny, as it contrasted with Posner's assertion that journalism should prioritize facts. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's involvement underscores the incident's scale in British Columbia, where McDonald provided key details on the suspect's background.
