Tumbler Ridge School Shooting: RCMP Identify 18-Year-Old Transgender Woman as Shooter in British Columbia Tragedy
TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have officially identified the perpetrator behind the February 10 mass shooting that devastated this remote British Columbia community as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender woman with a documented history of mental health struggles. The attack claimed nine lives, including the shooter, and left more than 25 others wounded—making it one of Canada’s deadliest school shootings in recent decades.
How the Tumbler Ridge Shooting Unfolded
According to RCMP investigators, the massacre unfolded in two stages across approximately 45 minutes on the morning of February 10.
Stage 1: Family Residence
Van Rootselaar fatally shot her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their family home. No other family members were present at the time.
Stage 2: Tumbler Ridge Secondary School
The shooter drove to the school and opened fire on students and staff. Six individuals died at the school: a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys aged 12 and 13.
Police discovered Van Rootselaar inside the building with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In total, nine people lost their lives including the shooter, and more than 25 others sustained injuries. Several victims required airlifting to specialized medical facilities, and some remain in serious or critical condition.
Who Was Jesse Van Rootselaar?
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald provided critical context about the shooter during a press briefing.
Regarding gender identity, Van Rootselaar was assigned male at birth but began socially transitioning approximately six years ago. She identified as female and used female pronouns.
Her connection to the school was limited. Van Rootselaar had withdrawn from Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years ago and was not enrolled at the time of the attack.
Her mental health history was significant. Police had responded to multiple mental health-related calls at the family residence in previous years. Law enforcement had previously seized weapons from the home during a mental health intervention, but those firearms were later returned following an appeal by the legal owner.
Regarding firearms licensing, Van Rootselaar held a firearms licence that expired in 2024 and possessed no registered weapons at the time of the shooting.
Investigation: No Motive Established
Despite comprehensive forensic analysis and extensive witness interviews, RCMP officials state they have not determined a definitive motive for the attack.
Investigators have confirmed that Van Rootselaar acted independently with no accomplices and no evidence suggesting an organized plot. No manifesto or explanatory writings were discovered during the investigation. The origin of the weapon used in the attack remains under investigation.
National Response and Mourning
The Tumbler Ridge shooting has triggered an outpouring of grief across Canada and renewed national conversations about firearms legislation and mental health support.
Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered flags lowered to half-mast for seven days, postponed international travel obligations, and Parliament observed a moment of silence honoring the victims.
Locally, all schools in the district remain closed. Grief counselors and support services have mobilized throughout the region. Community vigils are being organized to honor the eight victims, and fundraising efforts have been launched to support affected families.
Context: Canada’s Deadliest Mass Shootings
This tragedy ranks among Canada’s most severe mass casualty events. The 2020 Nova Scotia rampage claimed 22 lives. The 1989 École Polytechnique massacre saw 14 women killed. The 2006 Dawson College shooting resulted in one fatality and 19 injured. The 2018 Fredericton shooting left four dead. Tumbler Ridge now joins this painful legacy.
Community in Shock: “We Are Broken”
Tumbler Ridge—a tight-knit mountain community of just 2,400 residents—now joins a painful legacy of towns forever marked by school violence.
Mayor Doyle Macdonald described the atmosphere: “Everyone knows everyone here. Every single person is grieving someone lost, someone wounded, or someone who witnessed the unthinkable. We are broken, but we will help each other heal.”
Local parent Sarah Kempton, whose daughter survived by hiding in a locker, told reporters: “She heard everything. The screams, the shots, the running. She’s 12 years old. No child should carry those sounds.”
Path Forward: Recovery and Scrutiny
Officials emphasize that recovery will require sustained mental health resources and long-term community solidarity.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner McDonald stated: “This investigation does not conclude with identification. We owe it to the victims, their families, and this community to understand how this happened and what systems failed to prevent it.”
Policy discussions are expected to intensify regarding firearms return protocols following mental health interventions, school safety measures in rural communities, mental health support access for at-risk youth, and threat assessment protocols for disconnected former students.
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Conclusion: A Community Forever Changed
The Tumbler Ridge school shooting has carved a wound into this small British Columbia town that will take generations to heal. Eight innocent lives—a mother, a stepbrother, young students, a dedicated teacher—were taken in an act of violence that has shattered a community and shaken the nation.
As investigators continue seeking answers and families prepare to bury their dead, the people of Tumbler Ridge cling to each other. In the Canadian Rockies, where the peaks stand silent witness to human tragedy, a community begins the long, painful work of remembering, grieving, and eventually—against all odds—rebuilding.
The investigation continues. Anyone with information is urged to contact the RCMP Tumbler Ridge detachment or Crime Stoppers.
