CloseAn 18-year-old girl was identified as the person who fatally shot six people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and two other people at a private residence Tuesday in one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings in history.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at the private residence before opening fire at the school.
Six people were killed at the high school – a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, a 12-year-old male student and a 13-year-old male student. RCMP have not publicly identified the names of the victims yet.
Two more victims were airlifted to the hospital with “significnt injuries,” police say.
Students and faculty at the high school, located in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, spent hours barricaded inside classrooms, offices and other corners of the school after the principal directed everyone to lock their doors.
Investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting, but said that police had responded to calls at the residence multiple times over the last several years due to “concerns” about the suspect’s “mental health.”
Tumbler Ridge mayor asked his community to lean on each other amid their grief
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka asked his community Wednesday to lean on each other amid their grief.
"Lend your ear when somebody needs your ear. Lend your shoulder when somebody needs your shoulder," he said at a news conference, per CBC, after eight people wre killed in a mass shooting Tuesday.
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 03:41
Canadian politician urges Tumbler Ridge community to seek counseling services after shooting
Larry Neufeld, a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, has urged people in Tumbler Ridge to seek counseling services after Tuesday’s mass shooting.
“Today, our hearts are shattered,” he wrote on X Wednesday. “Grief, shock, anger, fear. These are heavy burdens to carry alone. Please, do not carry them alone.”
He said that free counseling services were available, writing, “Seeking help is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of courage and care for yourself and your loved ones.”
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 03:20
In pictures: Tumbler Ridge school blocked with police tape
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 03:00
In pictures: Candlelit vigil held for Tumbler Ridge shooting victims
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 02:41
Watch: Mark Carney says 'Canada stands by' those who lost loved ones in shooting
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 02:20
Everything we know about the Tumbler Ridge shooting victims
Eight people, including six children, were killed in a deadly mass shooting that rocked Tumbler Ridge, a small, close-knit community located in British Columbia.
Among those killed Tuesday are Abel Mwansa Jr. and Kylie May, both 12, according to their families. Police are yet to release the victims’ identities.
More than 25 other people were injured in the shooting that has become one of the deadliest to occur in Canada, according to initial police estimates. The suspected shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who police say killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at a nearby home before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, was also found dead with a “self-inflicted injury.”
Police said the teenager was born biologically male but had been transitioning to female over the past six years. She was not a student at the school but it was not immediately clear if she had previously studied at Tumbler Ridge Secondary.
Read on…
Canada mass shooting victims, including students, mourned by community
Among those killed are 12-year-olds Abel Mwansa Jr. and Kylie May, according to their familiesRachel Dobkin12 February 2026 02:00
Candlelit vigil for shooting victims to be held tonight
A candlelit vigil for the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge will be held at the British Columbia Legislature at 7 p.m. local time tonight.
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 01:40
Police say they visited suspected shooter's home last spring over 'self harm' concerns
Canadian police said Wednesday that they visited the home of the 18-year-old girl suspected of carrying out the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge last spring over “self harm” concerns.
Dwayne McDonald, deputy commissioner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, said that authorities visited Jesse Van Rootselaar’s home “on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect.”
McDonald said that before the shooting, police last visited the home in the “spring of last year” over “concerns regarding mental health, self harm.”
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 01:20
UN secretary-general shares condolences for 'tragic' shooting
António Guterres, secretary-general for the United Nations, shared his condolences through a spokesperson, who called the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge “tragic.”
“[Mr. Guterres] extends his deepest condolences to those affected and his sympathies to the Government and people of Canada,” Stéphane Dujarric said at a news briefing Wednesday.
Rachel Dobkin12 February 2026 01:00
Everything we know about Canadian teen who killed eight, including six kids, according to police
Canadian police identified an 18-year-old as the perpetrator who fatally shot six people at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and two others at a private residence Tuesday in what is one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings.
Officials said Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home before opening fire at the high school. Five students, aged 12 to 13, and one 39-year-old female educator were killed.
Police said the suspect was born biologically male but had been transitioning to female over the past six years. She was not a student at the school but it was not immediately clear if she had previously studied at Tumbler Ridge Secondary.
A motive for the shooting is unclear, but police said they had made multiple visits to the suspect’s home over the last several years for concerns about mental health issues.
Read on…
What we know about the Tumbler Ridge school shooting suspect in Canada
Police said Jesse Van Rootselaar fatally shot her mother and 11-year-old brother before opening fire at the high schoolAriana Baio and Owen Scott12 February 2026 00:40NewerOlder