What to know about transgender suspect in Tumbler Ridge
An 18-year-old Tumbler ridge, British columbia resident, Jesse Van Rootselaar, identified by police as a transgender woman who had transitioned from male, is the person authorities say carried out a deadly attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The shooting left nine people dead, including the suspected shooter, and more then 25 injured. Police say the body found inside the school was Rootselaar, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; there are no outstanding suspects. Two additional bodies were found in a nearby house—Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year-old step-brother—allegedly killed by Rootselaar before the attack. Investigators recovered a long gun and a modified handgun; Rootselaar had an expired firearms license in 2024 but no guns registered. The town has a population of under 3,000; Canadian Prime minister Mark Carney extended condolences and ordered government buildings to fly flags at half-mast for a week. Authorities said there is no clear motive and no evidence the transition played a role in the shooting.
What to know about transgender suspect in British Columbia school shooting
Canadian police identified a transgender woman on Wednesday as the person responsible for the shooting that left nine people dead, including the suspected shooter, and 25 injured in British Columbia’s Tumbler Ridge Community.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald named 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge resident Jesse Van Rootselaar, who police said was biologically male and transitioned to female, as the shooter who opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday.
McDonald said one of the bodies inside the school was discovered to be Rootselaar, who was killed by what police described as a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound, and said there are “no outstanding suspects.”
Rootselaar transitioned from male to female about six years ago and subsequently dropped out of school two years later, but McDonald said there is no evidence that Rootselaar dropped out due to bullying because of the transition.
McDonald added there is no reason to believe the suspect’s transition correlates with the shooting.
There was a history of police responses to Rootselaar’s home, including calls related to mental health concerns, McDonald said.
The suspect had previously been detained under the Mental Health Act for assessment and follow-up.
Two more bodies were found in a house near the school, reported to be Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year-old step-brother, who were allegedly killed by Rootselaar before moving to the school.
Rootselaar is suspected of killing a 39-year-old teacher and five students aged 13 and under at the school.
More than 25 additional people were injured during the attack in the small mountain town.
Officers had seized firearms from the suspect’s home two years ago, and the suspect had an expired firearms license in 2024 but had no guns registered, according to Newsweek.
McDonald said a clear motive was not identified, nor was a specific target. He said police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun.
Tumbler Ridge, located near the Alberta border in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, has a population of less than 3,000.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday extended his condolences to the Tumbler Ridge community.
NINE PEOPLE DEAD AND 25 INJURED IN SCHOOL SHOOTING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
“Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love,” Carney said. “The nation mourns with you. Canada stands by you.”
Carney ordered government buildings to fly flags at half-mast for the next week.
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