Tragic events unfold in the peaceful town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar becomes the suspect behind a devastating school shooting. The incident claimed nine lives, including six people shot at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Van Rootselaar’s mother and stepbrother killed beforehand.
Details have emerged painting a chilling picture: Van Rootselaar, pictured grinning with a rifle, stormed the school on February 10, leading to one of Canada’s deadliest school shootings. In heart-wrenching news, those killed included young children aged 12 to 13 and a dedicated teacher aged 39.
Van Rootselaar, who identified as transgender and used female pronouns, tragically took their own life on school grounds, marking the end of this horrifying chapter.
The townspeople of Tumbler Ridge had been thrust into high alert, receiving urgent messages to seek safety in response to the active shooter threat. Law enforcement identified Van Rootselaar as the suspect posthumously, and recovered two firearms, a long gun, and a modified handgun.
As more details come to light, the community and the entire nation grieve together, seeking solace in solidarity and remembering those lost in this senseless act of violence. Let us remember the innocent lives taken and support each other in times of unimaginable loss.