Police name 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge, BC mass shooting that killed 9 (including family members and school victims) and injured 27 before the shooter died by suicide. Motive under investigation in one of Canada’s deadliest attacks.
The tragic incident of mass shooting in the remote community of Tumbler Ridge, located in British Columbia, Canada, has shocked the country as one of the deadliest gun violence tragedies in recent decades.
The response came after reports were received about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School around 1:30 p.m. local time on February 10, 2026. The attacker conducted attacks at both a residence and a school.
The suspect was found to be none other than 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who also happens to be a resident of Tumbler Ridge. The police also mentioned that the suspect was a female who was born as a male and began her transition around six years ago; she wanted to be identified as a female from then onwards. The RCMP also mentioned that she had dropped out of the same school she was attending around four years ago. The police also mentioned that they had previously received calls regarding the suspect’s residence and the mental health issues of the suspect.
Van Rootselaar died of a self-administered gunshot wound in the school as the officers closed in on him.
The motive remains under active investigation by the RCMP, with no further details released. Early reports indicate the weapons were not registered to the suspect, whose firearms license had expired in 2024.
The number of fatalities is nine, and this includes the attacker. At least 27 others have been injured, with some of them gravely injured, receiving treatment in the vicinity and other larger towns like Vancouver.
The Canadian Prime Minister has expressed condolences to the nation and ordered flags to fly at half-staff. Residents of the community and officials alike said they felt this was devastating to the small mountain community known for its mining past.
This incident was followed by widespread grieving and condolences offered for the victims and their families, and debates regarding mental health, school security, and firearms laws in Canada.
