The suspect who died in a shooting that left nine people dead in a small town in western Canada has been identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, who was already known to police.
Police found Van Rootselaar dead after the afternoon shooting on Tuesday at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, as a result of what authorities believe to be a self-inflicted injury. Six others were killed at the school, including four 12-year-old students and one 13-year-old, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.
Van Rootselaar is also suspected of killing her mother and her half-brother, whose bodies were found at a residence, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
Take Advantage of the Stock Market Rally!
Police corrected the death toll to nine, after initially reporting ten. A young woman with serious injuries, who had initially been reported dead en route to the hospital, actually survived.
The tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, a remote town more than 1,100 kilometers by road northeast of Vancouver, shocked Canada. It is one of the worst mass shootings in the country’s history, and the episode drew condolences from leaders around the world, including King Charles III.
Prime Minister Mark Carney postponed a defense announcement and canceled plans to travel to Germany for the Munich Security Conference. Several members of his cabinet will travel to Tumbler Ridge, along with British Columbia Premier David Eby. The House of Commons adjourned its session early after a minute of silence and brief remarks by Carney and opposition party leaders.
“Yesterday morning, parents in Tumbler Ridge sent their children to school, and some will never be able to hug them again. These children and their teachers witnessed unprecedented cruelty,” Carney said. “I want everyone to know the following: our entire country is with you.”
Carney seemed on the verge of tears when speaking to reporters earlier on Wednesday, calling the episode “a difficult day for our nation.” The Canadian flag will be flown at half-mast on Parliament Hill and on federal buildings across the country for the next week, he said.
“Devastation is the best word I can find,” said Larry Neufeld, the provincial MLA representing the region, to CBC Radio. “And yet it’s not strong enough.”
Tumbler Ridge has a population of about 2,600 people, and the high school has roughly 160 students.
According to police, the homicide at the residence happened first, and then the suspect moved to the school. Officers responded within two minutes to reports of an active shooter at the school around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Van Rootselaar was biologically male and began transitioning to female about six years ago, now identifying as a woman, McDonald said.
McDonald said the police cannot yet discuss a possible motive. The investigation is ongoing.
A long gun and a modified pistol were seized at the scene. “Police had previously attended that residence in the last two years, at which time firearms were seized under the Criminal Code,” McDonald said. “The lawful owner filed a request for those weapons to be returned, and they were.”
There was a history of police calls at the family residence, and some of these calls related to concerns about Van Rootselaar’s mental health, McDonald said. On several occasions, she was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for treatment, he stated.
She left school about four years ago, he added.
About 25 people were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said on Tuesday. Two people who had been airlifted to hospital were in critical but stable condition, according to McDonald.
By Wednesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page had raised more than 75,000 Canadian dollars (US$ 55,000) for a 12-year-old girl undergoing treatment for serious gunshot wounds at the Vancouver Children’s Hospital.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
