Police in Canada have identified the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge shootings that left nine dead, including the attacker, as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a local resident. The death toll was revised down from ten after a female victim with significant injuries survived and remains in critical condition.
At a press conference, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald confirmed that the suspect's mother, aged 39, and her 11-year-old step-brother were found deceased at the family residence, where the killings began before the suspect moved to the high school. Police were called to the home after a female youth related to the suspect and victims alerted them from the school.
At Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, six people were killed: a 39-year-old teacher, three 12-year-old female students, and two male students aged 12 and 13. One victim was found in a stairwell, the others in the library. Two firearms were recovered at the scene—a long gun and a modified handgun—whose origins and role are under investigation.
The suspect, who had dropped out of the school about four years ago, had an expired firearms license from 2024 and no currently registered firearms. Police had attended the family home multiple times over mental health concerns, including an incident two years ago when firearms were seized under the Criminal Code; they were later returned after a petition by the lawful owner.
The suspect, born biologically male, had begun transitioning approximately six years ago and identified publicly as female. Motive remains unknown, and there is no indication that school victims were specifically targeted. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered condolences, stating that difficult conversations lie ahead but that now is a time for grieving.
