TUMBLER RIDGE, British Columbia — Canada is in mourning after a devastating school shooting in the remote town of Tumbler Ridge left nine people dead in one of the worst mass killings in the country’s history.
Police identified the suspect as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, who died by suicide after carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
Authorities confirmed Wednesday that the death toll had been revised to nine, including the suspect, down from the initially reported 10.
Family Members Killed First
According to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the suspect first killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their family home.
She then went to her former school, where she shot and killed a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys aged 12 and 13.
Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene.
Officers arrived within two minutes of the initial emergency call and encountered active gunfire before discovering the suspect dead from what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted wound.
Dozens of others were injured. Two victims remain hospitalized in critical condition, including a 12-year-old girl who sustained gunshot wounds to the head and neck, according to a statement from her mother on social media.
Mental Health History, No Clear Motive
McDonald said the suspect had previously been apprehended under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act for assessments.
“Police had attended that residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health,” he told reporters.
Investigators believe the suspect acted alone and say it is too early to determine a motive. Authorities have not indicated that any victims were specifically targeted.
The suspect had once attended the school but dropped out four years ago.
Nation in Shock
School shootings are rare in Canada, making the attack particularly shocking.
A visibly emotional Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed reporters, postponing a planned trip to Europe and ordering flags at federal buildings to be flown at half-mast for seven days.
“We will get through this. We will learn from this,” Carney said, later adding in Parliament that the country was in shock and mourning.
Mayor Darryl Krakowka described Tumbler Ridge — a community of about 2,400 residents — as “one big family.”
“Lend your ear when someone needs your ear. Lend your shoulder when someone needs your shoulder,” he urged residents.
Local residents echoed that sentiment, describing the town as a place where “everybody knows everybody” and doors are rarely locked.
King Charles, Canada’s head of state, said he was “profoundly shocked and saddened.”
Among Canada’s Deadliest Shootings
The tragedy ranks among the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history.
In April 2020, a gunman killed 22 people during a 13-hour rampage in Nova Scotia. In 1989, 14 women were killed in the Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the latest attack.
