Canadian authorities have identified the suspect in the mass shooting that left at least eight people dead in Tumbler Ridge as 18-year-old trans woman Jesse Van Rootselaar. Police say one adult educator and five students aged 12 to 13 were found dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. At least 25 others were injured. Van Rootselaar’s mother and stepbrother were also found dead at the family home.
Investigators believe they were shot prior to the attack at the school. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Van Rootselaar was a former student who dropped out four years ago. She began her social transition six years ago. Authorities say she was found deceased in the school library, where most victims were located. An RCMP spokesman said local police had visited the suspect’s home multiple times over several years, including for mental health assessments. Firearms were also the subject of at least one call to the family’s home.
Soon after the shooting was reported at 1:20 pm Pacific Time, police issued an alert for a female in a dress with brown hair. Authorities say they have not found a note or identified a motive behind the shooting. Tumbler Ridge Secondary School serves about 175 students in a remote community of roughly 2,400 residents. Officials say this is tied as the third-deadliest mass shooting in Canada.
