Quick Read
- Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, was identified as the shooter in the February 10, 2026, Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
- The attack claimed eight lives: two at a private residence and six at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
- Van Rootselaar died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the school, where police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun.
- Authorities cited Van Rootselaar’s history of mental health issues and interactions with police, including prior firearm seizures.
- Online activity revealed engagement with white supremacist ideology and gore content, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
TUMBLER RIDGE (Azat TV) – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the individual responsible for the February 10, 2026, mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, which tragically claimed the lives of eight people. The devastating attack began at a private residence before continuing at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, plunging the small community into grief as authorities reveal disturbing details about the shooter’s past mental health struggles and alarming online footprint.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the RCMP announced on Wednesday, February 11, that Van Rootselaar, who was born male and began transitioning six years ago, identified as female, and police are using her chosen name. The incident, one of the deadliest in Canadian history, has prompted national mourning and an intensive investigation into the shooter’s motives and how she obtained the firearms used in the rampage.
The Tumbler Ridge Attack Unfolds
The horrifying sequence of events began on Tuesday afternoon. According to Deputy Commissioner McDonald, Jesse Van Rootselaar first killed her 39-year-old mother, Jennifer Strang, and her 11-year-old stepbrother at their home in Tumbler Ridge, a rural community located about 700 miles north of Vancouver. A young family member at the home alerted a neighbor, who then called the police.
Van Rootselaar then proceeded to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a small academy serving grades 7-12 with approximately 160 students. Investigators believe she began shooting at random, killing six more individuals: a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, a 12-year-old boy, and a 13-year-old boy. Most of the victims at the school were found in the library, with one discovered in a stairwell. Police responded within two minutes of receiving the initial call, engaging Van Rootselaar, who fired shots in their direction before being found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the building. Authorities recovered a long gun and a modified handgun from the scene. Two surviving victims from the school shooting remain in critical condition.
Jesse Van Rootselaar’s Troubled History
The RCMP revealed that Jesse Van Rootselaar had a documented history of mental health issues and multiple interactions with law enforcement. Deputy Commissioner McDonald stated that police had responded to Van Rootselaar’s home on ‘multiple occasions’ in recent years due to concerns about her mental health. A couple of years prior, police had seized firearms from the residence and taken Van Rootselaar in for assessments under Canada’s Mental Health Act. However, the lawful owner of those firearms later successfully petitioned for their return. McDonald could not confirm if Van Rootselaar was actively receiving mental health treatment at the time of the shooting. He also clarified that Van Rootselaar did not have any firearms registered in her name.
Investigators are now scrutinizing how Van Rootselaar acquired the weapons used in the attack, particularly given her known mental health history. The incident raises significant questions about Canada’s gun control measures and mental health protocols, even as the country has recently broadened its ban on assault weapons in response to previous mass shootings.
Online Radicalization and Unanswered Motives
While the immediate motive for the rampage remains unclear, preliminary findings from the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism suggest a ‘troubling pattern of online radicalization’ in Van Rootselaar’s digital footprint. The ADL reported that her online activity was ‘marked by engagement with white supremacist ideology and a self-described addiction to gore content.’ She maintained an extensive digital presence across various platforms, including a website known for hosting videos depicting extreme violence, such as beheadings and torture. The ADL has previously warned about this site, noting that two other recent mass shooters, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow (2024) and 17-year-old Solomon Henderson (2025), had also engaged with extremist ideologies and graphic violence on the platform.
Deputy Commissioner McDonald confirmed that investigators have not found a note or any other immediate information to shed light on Van Rootselaar’s specific motives. He stated that there was no information to suggest she was a victim of bullying, noting that she had dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years prior. Police do not believe she targeted anyone specific at the school and are confident she acted alone.
Further details emerged about Van Rootselaar’s mother, Jennifer Strang. Her Instagram account showed posts from July 2024 supporting transgender children and criticizing online hate. However, her Facebook page also indicated she was a gun owner, once updating her profile picture with a rack of six guns and promoting her son Jesse’s YouTube channel, which featured content about hunting, self-reliance, and guns. YouTube has since removed the channel for violating its Community Guidelines.
Community Grief and National Reflection
The small mountain community of Tumbler Ridge, with a population of approximately 2,400, is profoundly shaken by the tragedy. Mayor Darryl Krakowka expressed his deep personal connection to the victims, stating, ‘I will know every victim… We’re a small community. I don’t call them residents. I call them family.’ Memorials, including bouquets of flowers and stuffed animals, have appeared outside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which will remain closed for the rest of the week, along with the elementary school. The community is uniting to support those directly affected by the shootings, with local services providing solace and assistance.
The attack marks Canada’s deadliest rampage since the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, which claimed 22 lives, and the second-deadliest since the Montreal massacre in 1989, where 14 women were killed. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed the nation’s grief, stating, ‘Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you.’ Flags at government buildings will be flown at half-staff for seven days. British Columbia Premier David Eby also conveyed his condolences and urged residents to support the people of Tumbler Ridge.
The Tumbler Ridge tragedy underscores the complex interplay of mental health challenges, the insidious influence of online radicalization, and the persistent societal struggle with gun violence, even in nations with strict firearm regulations. The emerging details about Jesse Van Rootselaar’s background highlight the formidable task facing authorities in identifying and mitigating the multifaceted risks that can converge to produce such devastating outcomes.