Canadian police have identified Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old transgender woman, as the perpetrator of a devastating school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, that left eight people dead before she took her own life on February 10, 2026, in one of Canada's deadliest school attacks in modern history.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that Van Rootselaar, who was born male but began transitioning to female six years ago, first killed her 39-year-old mother Jennifer Strang and 11-year-old stepbrother at their family home before driving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire on students and staff.
The attack began at approximately 1:20 PM on February 10, when Van Rootselaar arrived at the school and began shooting indiscriminately. RCMP officers responded within two minutes of receiving the first emergency call, but the shooter had already inflicted devastating casualties before turning the gun on herself as police arrived.
The Victims and Community Impact
Among the eight people killed at the school were a 39-year-old female teacher and five students - three 12-year-old girls and two boys, one aged 12 and another 13. The RCMP initially reported 10 deaths but later corrected the count to nine, including Van Rootselaar.
One student who was initially thought to be among the dead was found to be alive but in critical condition. Maya Gebala, 12, remains in critical condition at Vancouver Children's Hospital with severe head and neck wounds from shrapnel.
"What happened has left our nation in shock and all of us in mourning," Prime Minister Mark Carney said during an emergency address to the nation, ordering flags on Parliament Hill to be flown at half-mast for one week.
— Prime Minister Mark Carney
The peaceful mining community of Tumbler Ridge, home to approximately 2,400 residents nestled in the Rocky Mountains, has been devastated by the tragedy. The town, which rarely experiences violent crime, found itself thrust into an unimaginable nightmare that has shattered its tranquil existence.
Eyewitness Accounts and School Response
Jarbas Noronha, a shop teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, described the terrifying moments when he and his Grade 11 and 12 students barricaded their classroom door and prepared escape plans during the lockdown.
"We could hear the commotion in the hallways," Noronha recounted. "I immediately locked the door and moved the students away from windows. We had practiced this scenario before, but you never think it will actually happen in your own school."
Students throughout the school activated lockdown protocols, barricading themselves in classrooms as the sound of gunfire echoed through the corridors. Many remained hidden for hours until police could confirm the building was secure.
The Shooter's Background
Van Rootselaar was known to police as someone with documented mental health issues, having been the subject of previous wellness checks. Sources close to the investigation indicate she had been struggling with psychological problems for several years.
The shooter had attended Tumbler Ridge Secondary School until recently, making the attack particularly traumatic for students and staff who knew her personally. However, investigators have found no evidence that bullying related to her gender transition played a role in motivating the attack.
German media reports described Van Rootselaar as having been known to authorities as mentally ill, though the exact nature of her psychological struggles remains under investigation.
Emergency Response and Investigation
The rapid response from RCMP officers likely prevented an even greater tragedy. Specialized tactical units were deployed to the scene within minutes, while emergency services from across the region converged on the small community.
Helicopters, rarely seen or heard in the quiet mountain town, thundered overhead as emergency responders rushed to treat the wounded and evacuate them to larger medical facilities. The distinct sound of rotor blades cutting through the air became an ominous soundtrack to the community's darkest day.
Curtis Miedzinski, who has lived in Tumbler Ridge for roughly 10 years, noted how the helicopter noise disrupted the town's characteristic tranquility. "You almost never hear anything that breaks the quiet here," he said. "But that changed when the helicopters started coming."
Political and International Response
The shooting has prompted responses from political leaders and international figures. Prime Minister Carney canceled his planned attendance at the Munich Security Conference to focus on the national response to the tragedy.
British Columbia Premier David Eby called the shooting an "unimaginable tragedy" and pledged full support for the affected families and community. The provincial government has mobilized counseling services and trauma support specialists to assist survivors and community members.
Global leaders and Olympic athletes competing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics expressed shock and sadness at the news, with many sending condolences to Canada and the Tumbler Ridge community.
Historical Context and Rare Demographics
This attack represents the second major mass shooting in British Columbia in less than a year, following a Vancouver incident in April 2025 that left 11 people dead. The frequency of such violence in Canada, particularly involving educational institutions, remains statistically rare.
Mass shootings perpetrated by transgender individuals are extremely uncommon, representing less than 0.1% of such incidents according to criminological research. Experts warn against drawing broad conclusions about any demographic group based on individual cases.
The shooting has reignited debates about mental health resources, gun control measures, and school security protocols across Canada, though investigators emphasize that the motive remains unclear.
Community Trauma and Recovery
Christine Blair, Mayor of Colchester County, Nova Scotia, who experienced the 2020 mass shooting that killed 22 people in her community, offered advice to Tumbler Ridge residents based on her community's experience.
"It will be surreal," Blair warned, relating her community's experience to Tuesday's shooting. "Instead of just an initial surge of support, trauma therapists should be made available on a regular basis for years to come."
— Christine Blair, Colchester County Mayor
Blair emphasized that her community experienced multiple suicides following their tragedy, underscoring the long-term mental health impact such events have on survivors and community members.
Mental health professionals have been deployed to Tumbler Ridge to provide immediate crisis counseling, with plans for extended support services as the community begins the long process of healing.
Ongoing Investigation
The RCMP continues its forensic investigation of the crime scene, with specialized units examining evidence to piece together the exact sequence of events. Investigators are working to determine what may have triggered Van Rootselaar's violent actions.
Police have confirmed that Van Rootselaar acted alone and that there are no additional suspects in the case. The investigation is focusing on her mental state in the days and weeks leading up to the attack, as well as how she obtained the weapon used in the shooting.
The small community's remoteness initially created challenges for emergency services, but the town council had been seeking to address what it viewed as a lack of emergency services just days before the tragedy struck.
A Community Forever Changed
As Tumbler Ridge begins to process this unthinkable tragedy, the mining town that once epitomized the peaceful, tight-knit nature of rural Canadian communities must now grapple with being the site of one of the country's deadliest school shootings.
The attack has shattered assumptions about safety in small communities and highlighted the universal vulnerability of educational institutions to such violence. For a town where everyone knows everyone, the personal connections to both victims and perpetrator have made the trauma even more profound.
Memorial flowers and candles have begun appearing outside the school, while community members struggle to make sense of a tragedy that has forever altered their quiet corner of British Columbia. The healing process will be long and difficult, but the resilience shown by other Canadian communities facing similar tragedies offers hope that Tumbler Ridge will eventually find a path forward while never forgetting those lost on that devastating February day.