In Tumble Ridge, British Columbia, 18-year-old Canadian Jesse Van Rootselaar shot and killed a total of 9 people, including herself. Rootselaar was known for having an interest in guns, mass violence, and called depictions of violence “addictive.”
Rootselaar shot and killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year old stepbrother. After, she walked from her home over to Tumble Ridge Secondary School at 1:30 pm, and shot a total of six people. Officers arrived two minutes after an initial call was made. Once on school property, shots were fired in their direction.
The victims at the school were identified as one 39-year-old teacher and five students – three 12-year old girls and two boys, 13 and 12. Police also counted 24 people who were wounded.
Most of the victims were found in the library, and one was found in a stairwell. Rootselaar was found with a self-inflicted bullet wound alongside a long-barreled gun and a modified pistol.
When asked about Roostelaar’s motives for the shooting, Police Deputy Commissioner Dawayne McDonald told reporters, “There is no information at this point that anyone was specifically targeted.”
In a briefing of the event, Officer McDonald revealed that they frequently visited Rootselaar’s home for reported mental health concerns. On one occasion, Rootselaar was apprehended under the provincial Mental Health Act.
Officers returned to the residence when they received details of an expired gun license. The suspect’s guns were taken away–but were returned after filing a petition. When asked if the guns used in the shooting were the ones previously seized, the police were unresponsive.
Though rare, the Canadian government has responded to previous mass shootings harshly with strict gun control, including a ban on guns it considers assault weapons.
The Tumbler Ridge shooting was one of the deadliest assaults in Canada since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and created a fire that burned nine more.
In a town of 2,300 residents and a school of 160 students, this small community was greatly impacted by their loss. Town Mayor Darryl Krakowka called the event “devastating.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the shooting, pointing out that, “Parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love.”