Tumbler Ridge, a remote town in northeastern British Columbia, is in shock following a mass shooting that left eight people dead, including multiple students, and more than 25 injured. The suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who had a history of mental health struggles, killed her mother and stepbrother before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The RCMP confirmed that Van Rootselaar died by suicide at the scene, leaving the community to grapple with immense grief and questions.
Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — In a devastating blow to one of Canada’s most isolated communities, an 18-year-old woman has been named as the suspect behind a mass shooting that claimed eight lives and left dozens wounded, marking one of the deadliest such incidents in the nation’s modern history.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified the suspect as Jesse Van Rootselaar during a somber press conference on Wednesday. Authorities confirmed that Van Rootselaar, who was born male but began identifying and transitioning to female approximately six years ago, died by suicide at the scene following the attack on Tuesday.
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The violence began at a family residence in Tumbler Ridge, a tight-knit mountain community of roughly 2,400 residents nestled in northeastern British Columbia. There, Van Rootselaar fatally shot her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother before proceeding to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she had once been a student but dropped out about four years prior.
At the school, the assailant opened fire with a long gun and a modified handgun, killing six people: a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, one 12-year-old boy, and one 13-year-old boy. Police recovered the weapons at the scene. More than 25 others were injured, with several in critical condition. Among the gravely wounded is 12-year-old Maya, who sustained gunshot wounds to the head and neck and remains in a fight for her life, according to a Facebook post by her mother, Cia Edmonds.
RCMP officers arrived within two minutes of the initial emergency call and encountered active gunfire, including shots directed toward them. They discovered Van Rootselaar dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commander of the RCMP in British Columbia, emphasized that the suspect acted alone and that no specific individuals appeared to have been targeted. “It would be too early to speculate on motive,” McDonald stated, noting that investigators have found no evidence suggesting otherwise.
A key revelation from the briefing was Van Rootselaar’s documented history of mental health struggles. Police had responded to the family home on multiple occasions over recent years for mental health concerns, and the suspect had been apprehended under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act for assessment more than once.
Unlike the United States, where school shootings occur with tragic frequency, such events remain exceedingly rare in Canada. The nation grappled with collective shock and grief as news unfolded.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional, postponed an international trip and ordered flags on federal buildings lowered to half-mast for seven days. “We will get through this. We will learn from this,” Carney told reporters. In Parliament, lawmakers observed a moment of silence as the prime minister described the killings as leaving the country “in shock and mourning.” He added, “Tumbler Ridge represents the very best of Canada.”
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, fighting back tears, spoke of the community as “one big family.” In an emotional address, he urged compassion: “Lend your ear when someone needs your ear. Lend your shoulder when someone needs your shoulder. Give somebody a hug.”
Condolences poured in from around the world. King Charles, Canada’s head of state, expressed being “profoundly shocked and saddened” by the loss.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on supporting the grieving families, the injured, and a small town forever changed by an act of inexplicable violence. Mental health resources and community counseling have been mobilized, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and support in even the most remote corners of the country.
Tumbler Ridge, once known for its quiet beauty and close bonds, now stands as a poignant reminder of fragility amid tragedy.
Heartbreak Deepens in Tumbler Ridge: Families Mourn Young Victims of School Massacre
As the remote mountain community of Tumbler Ridge begins the painful process of burying its dead, heartbreaking tributes from grieving families are painting intimate portraits of the children whose lives were stolen in Tuesday’s devastating mass shooting—one of the deadliest in Canadian history.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed that eight people lost their lives in the attack carried out by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who died by suicide at the scene. The toll includes Van Rootselaar’s 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother, killed at the family home, and six victims at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School: a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, one 12-year-old boy, and one 13-year-old boy. More than two dozen others were wounded, with several still fighting for survival in hospital.
On Wednesday, details about some of the youngest victims emerged through anguished social media posts from devastated loved ones.
Abel Mwansa, father of 12-year-old Abel Mwansa, shared a raw and tearful Facebook tribute remembering his son as a bright, eager student who cherished school above all else. “Our son went to school this morning and it happened that someone came to school with a GUN… my son was killed too just like that,” Mwansa wrote. He recalled how young Abel once cried at the mere suggestion of homeschooling, so deeply did he love attending classes and being with friends.
Mwansa described raising his boy to “respect elders, be strong, work hard, put a smile on the face like I do, focus on his studies, never miss school and to be a good kid.” In a later update, he lamented the senseless violence: shot “like a stray dog murdered in cold blood.” The father treasured their 12 years and 11 months together, insisting that “God didn’t take his son, but death did.”
Another family shattered by loss is that of 12-year-old Kylie May Smith. Her aunt, Shanon Dycke, posted on Facebook that the “beautiful, kind, innocent soul” did not make it out of the school alive. “Our world crumbled” upon receiving the news, Dycke wrote, urging prayers not only for their family but for “the other families who have lost their child, or are waiting to hear news.” A GoFundMe page has since been launched to support Kylie’s mother and family amid the unimaginable grief.
The close-knit nature of Tumbler Ridge—where residents famously leave doors and cars unlocked and routinely walk into neighbors’ homes—has amplified the collective trauma. “Everybody knows everybody,” local resident Jordon Kosik told reporters. The shooting has shattered the sense of safety in a town that prides itself on trust and community.
Investigators revealed additional details about the suspect’s background. Van Rootselaar previously held a firearms license, which expired in 2024. Police seized firearms from the family residence about two years ago but returned them after a successful appeal by the owner. Under Canadian law, individuals aged 12 to 17 can obtain a minor’s firearms license after completing safety training and passing required tests—far stricter regulations than in the United States, where such incidents occur more frequently.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald reiterated that Van Rootselaar acted alone, with no indication of specific targeting. The suspect had a documented history of mental health challenges, including multiple police visits to the home and apprehensions under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act.
The attack ranks as Canada’s deadliest school shooting since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, where 14 women were killed, and trails only the 2020 Nova Scotia rampage that claimed 22 lives over 13 hours.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged national support, with flags at half-mast and counseling resources flooding into the isolated town. As Tumbler Ridge rallies around its grieving families, the community echoes Mayor Darryl Krakowka’s earlier plea: in times of unimaginable pain, lend an ear, offer a shoulder, and share a hug.
The nation watches, mourns, and searches for answers in the quiet aftermath of a tragedy that has forever altered a small place that once felt like home to everyone.