What to know
- BC RCMP identified 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge resident Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspect in Tuesday’s deadly mass shooting that left nine people dead and at least 25 others injured.
- Police said the suspect’s mother and male sibling were found dead at their home, while the remaining victims — a female teacher, three female students and two male students aged 13 to 17 — were located at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
- Investigators recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene, believe the suspect acted alone, and confirmed prior police interactions related to mental health and weapons, though no motive has been established.
An 18-year-old female-identifying resident of Tumbler Ridge has been identified by RCMP as the shooter behind Tuesday’s mass casualty at a secondary school in B.C.
An 18-year-old female-identifying resident of Tumbler Ridge has been identified by RCMP as the shooter behind Tuesday’s mass casualty at a secondary school in B.C.
On Wednesday at a press conference, RCMP shared that Jesse Van Rootselaar was the shooter behind the death of 9 people, and possible injuries of 25 others.
The RCMP confirmed the mother and male sibling of Van Rootselaar were among the victims and were found dead in their home.
The other victims were found by officers at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. They were a female teacher, three female students and two male students, between the ages of 13 and 17.
Officers said they found Van Rootselaar dead inside the school, from a self-inflicted gun shot.
“This is a deeply distressing incident, where nine individuals have senselessly lost their lives,” BC RCMP Commanding Officer, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said at the conference.
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McDonald added that officers located a long gun and modified hang gun during their on-scene investigation, and believed Van Rootselaar acted alone.
When going into detail about the suspect, McDonald confirmed police had attended her home in the past multiple times over several years for mental health related issues. Some interactions did involve guns and weapons.
RCMP did confirm Van Rootselaar was a trans-woman, who was born biologically as a male, but could not confirm if that was a factor in the incident.
