An 18-year-old, Jesse Van Rootselaar, has been named by police as the suspect in a shooting that killed eight people and injured dozens in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. The suspect was found dead at the school from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, police said, after an earlier fatality at a nearby home. The shootings happened on Tuesday, with emergency calls arriving around 13:30 local time (20:30 GMT). Authorities have not yet established a motive as they continue investigations and outreach to health-care providers.
Key takeaways
- Eight people were killed: six at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and two at a nearby home, including the suspect’s mother (39) and step-brother (11).
- At the school, victims included a 39-year-old female educator, three female students (each aged 12) and two male students aged 12 and 13.
- The named suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was located deceased at the school from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- Police found two firearms at the school scene: a long gun and a modified handgun; investigators said the exact role of each weapon remains unclear.
- Officers reported arriving within two minutes of the 13:30 local-time report, entering amid active gunfire and then searching the building for victims.
- Police stated they had attended the suspect’s family home multiple times over several years, including calls related to mental-health concerns.
- Van Rootselaar previously held a valid gun licence that had since lapsed and had dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years ago.
- Hundreds of mourners held vigils in Tumbler Ridge and outside the British Columbia legislature in Vancouver on Wednesday night.
Background
Tumbler Ridge is a small northeastern British Columbia community of roughly 2,400 residents; its secondary school serves about 160 students in Grades 7–12. In such close-knit towns, schools and homes are tightly interwoven into community life, so a sudden act of violence can have an outsized local impact. Police told reporters they had previous contact with the suspect’s family, including calls that raised mental-health concerns; those records are now being reviewed as investigators coordinate with public health services.
Canada’s legal framework around firearms includes licensing and storage requirements; authorities said the suspect once held a valid licence that later lapsed. Small schools with limited staff and resources face particular challenges in responding to active-shooter incidents and supporting community recovery. Local officials and provincial leaders quickly moved to offer public condolences and mourning spaces while investigators secured the scenes at both the residence and the school.
Main event
According to police, the first fatalities were discovered at a home near the town before the suspect traveled to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The initial report of an active shooter at the school arrived at about 13:30 local time (20:30 GMT) on Tuesday. Officers said they reached the campus within approximately two minutes, encountered active gunfire, and entered to locate and confront the threat.
Within minutes of entering the building, officers found the shooter who was deceased from what police described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators recovered two firearms at the school scene: a long gun and a modified handgun, but officials cautioned they had not yet confirmed the precise function of each weapon in the attack. Police then conducted a room-by-room search to find and account for victims; two injured people were airlifted to hospital and remained there for treatment.
Authorities confirmed there are no indications of further suspects and said family contacts and records are being examined to reconstruct the suspect’s recent history. The victim list released by police identified six victims at the school and two at the home, with multiple others injured. Officials have emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation and asked the public to avoid speculating about motive while evidence is gathered.
Analysis & implications
An incident of this scale in a town of about 2,400 residents concentrates trauma across social networks, schools and workplaces; the immediate need is both investigative and therapeutic. Short-term priorities include victim care, forensic work, and support services for students, staff and first responders. Over the medium term, local authorities and provincial agencies will face decisions about counselling capacity, school security reviews and memorial arrangements.
The report that police had prior interactions with the suspect’s family, including mental-health-related calls, highlights gaps that frequently surface after mass-violence events: how information is shared across law enforcement, health providers and social services. The fact that a previously valid gun licence had lapsed raises questions about licence monitoring and firearm access pathways that public officials may review in ensuing policy discussions.
Nationally, the attack is likely to renew debate about school safety, mental-health supports and firearms regulation in Canada. For small communities, the policy conversation will also touch on resource allocation—how to ensure rapid emergency response and sustained trauma care in rural or remote settings. Investigators’ ongoing work to determine motive and timeline will shape whether the discussion centers on individual pathology, systemic failures, or both.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Tumbler Ridge population | ~2,400 residents |
| Tumbler Ridge Secondary School enrollment | ~160 students (Grades 7–12) |
| Fatalities | 8 total (6 at school; 2 at home) |
| Injured | at least 25 reported |
This table places the scale of the incident in local context: a town of roughly 2,400 people and a secondary school of about 160 students suffered multiple deaths and dozens of injuries. Those ratios help explain why the event has provoked intense communal grief and urgent calls for expanded local supports. Data points remain provisional as investigations and hospital reports are finalized.
Reactions & quotes
Community vigils drew hundreds who gathered in Tumbler Ridge’s main square and at the British Columbia legislature in Vancouver, offering prayers and moments of silence. Attendees voiced a common sentiment about schools as safe spaces.
“Schools should be safe,”
Gigi Rejano, vigil attendee (AFP)
Provincial leaders expressed public sympathy and called for communal solidarity. A speaker at the legislature urged collective support for those affected.
“We can only pray together, hold hands together and send our love to all those people”,
Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the British Columbia legislature (local journalist report)
Tumbler Ridge’s mayor described the town as a close-knit community and appealed for neighbours to support one another. Officials emphasized mourning alongside practical offers of help.
“Lend your ear when someone needs your ear… Give somebody a hug.”,
Darryl Krakowka, Mayor of Tumbler Ridge
RCMP leadership provided operational details and background about the suspect’s identity and prior contacts with police.
“I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female… we’ve begun the process of reaching out to the public health care system to understand what interactions may have taken place.”,
Dwayne McDonald, RCMP deputy commissioner
Unconfirmed
- The motive for the attacks has not been established and remains under investigation.
- Exact roles of the two firearms found at the school in the sequence of events are unconfirmed.
- Details of any health-care interactions or assessments involving the suspect are not yet publicly verified.
Bottom line
The Tumbler Ridge shootings have left a small community grieving multiple deaths and dozens injured, with an 18-year-old named as the suspect and found deceased at the scene. Investigators continue to piece together events at the home and the school, recover forensic evidence and consult public-health records to clarify motive and timeline. The combination of prior police contacts, a lapsed gun licence and the suspect’s school history will be central to the inquiry, but authorities caution against premature conclusions until evidence is complete.
Beyond the immediate investigation, the incident will likely trigger discussions on local mental-health supports, firearm access controls and emergency preparedness for schools, especially in smaller communities. For residents and officials alike, the urgent tasks are victim care, transparent investigation and sustained community support as details emerge.
Sources
- BBC News — news report summarizing official statements and local response (media)