The peaceful community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, has been shattered by the deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. Authorities have confirmed that 10 people are dead, including the teenage suspect, following a violent rampage that spanned a private residence and a secondary school.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) haveidentifiedthe shooter as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. According to police, the violence began at the suspect's home before moving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where students and staff were forced into lockdown for hours. The magnitude of the tragedy has left the small town in mourning as investigators piece together the events of that Tuesday afternoon.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, the commanding officer for the RCMP in British Columbia, provided crucial details regarding the suspect. McDonald stated that Van Rootselaar was known to police, as officers had responded to her home for mental health-related calls over the last several years. Some of these previous interactions involved concerns regarding weapons.
Van Rootselaar was a former student of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School but had dropped out approximately four years ago. McDonald confirmed that the 18-year-old identified as female but was assigned male at birth, noting that she began to transition about six years ago. Investigators have not yet found a suicide note, though they acknowledge the possibility that one may have been written.
During the investigation at the school, officers recovered a long gun and a modified handgun. Authorities confirmed that neither weapon was registered to Van Rootselaar. Furthermore, records show that the suspect's firearms licence had expired in 2024. Police emphasized that the suspect was not related to any of the victims found at the school.
The RCMP has released a specific timeline of how the violence unfolded on Tuesday, February 10. The first indication of danger came at approximately 2:20 p.m., when police received a call regarding an active shooter at the secondary school. A public alert was immediately issued, instructing residents to shelter in place and avoid the area. At that time, witnesses described the suspect as a 'female in a dress with brown hair.'
While officers rushed to the school, a separate tragedy was discovered. At 2:47 p.m., police were called to a secondary residence, now identified as the suspect's family home. There, they found two deceased individuals: 39-year-old Jennifer Strang, the suspect's mother, and an 11-year-old boy believed to be her stepbrother.
Back at the school, thesituationremained volatile until 4:16 p.m., when police located the suspect. She was found deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. It was not until approximately 4:50 p.m. that teams began evacuating students who had been hiding in classrooms.
🚨 NEW 🚨I’ve obtained exclusive footage captured by locals in Tumbler Ridge.Truly harrowing scenes…🧵pic.twitter.com/8XrwUigAxe
For the students inside, the afternoon was a surreal nightmare. Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student, spoke to reporters about the ordeal. He was barricaded in a classroom with his teachers and about 14 classmates for over two hours.
Source: International Business Times UK
