The tragic mass shooting in the remote British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge has left a small community devastated and the nation in mourning. On February 10, 2026, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar carried out a deadly attack that began at her family home and continued at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, resulting in eight fatalities and more than 25 people wounded.
Police identified the suspect as Van Rootselaar, a resident of the town who had previously attended the school but dropped out about four years earlier. Authorities noted that she was born biologically male and began transitioning to female approximately six years ago, identifying publicly as female. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald explained that officers had visited her residence multiple times over the years in response to mental health concerns, including issues related to self-harm. The most recent police contact occurred in the spring of the previous year. Firearms had been seized from the home during one such visit but were later returned after the owner petitioned for them.
The attack unfolded in two locations. First, at the family home, Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother. A young female relative at the home escaped to alert a neighbor, who then contacted police—though the call about the home came after officers had already responded to reports of an active shooter at the school.
At Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which serves grades 7 through 12 and has about 175 students, the suspect opened fire. Victims included a 39-year-old female teacher and five students aged 12 to 13 (three girls and two boys). One victim was found in a stairwell, while the others were believed to have been in the library. Police emphasized that there was no indication anyone at the school was specifically targeted. Officers arrived within two minutes of the initial call and reported shots being fired in their direction upon arrival.
Van Rootselaar was found dead at the school from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene.
The initial death toll was reported as nine victims plus the suspect, but authorities later corrected it to eight victims plus the suspect after learning that one severely injured person airlifted to a hospital had survived. Several wounded individuals remained in serious condition, including a 12-year-old girl shot in the head and neck who was fighting for her life in Vancouver Children’s Hospital.
Tumbler Ridge, a town of about 2,700 people nestled in the Canadian Rockies near the Alberta border—more than 1,000 kilometers northeast of Vancouver—has long been described as a tight-knit “big family.” Once a coal mining community founded in the 1980s, it has shown resilience through economic challenges. Residents and leaders expressed profound grief. Mayor Darryl Krakowka, who has lived there for 18 years, said he likely knew every victim personally and encouraged the community to support one another with hugs, listening ears, and shoulders to lean on.
Local accounts captured the horror. One mother described her 17-year-old son being locked down in the school for over two hours; he and classmates blocked doors with desks and shared photos of blood via text messages. Another resident heard a grieving parent’s cries in the street, desperate for her child’s body.
This incident marks Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020 and one of its worst school shootings in decades, despite the country’s strict gun-control laws, which include recent bans on certain assault-style weapons.
Political leaders responded with sorrow and solidarity. Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional, said the nation mourns with Tumbler Ridge and announced flags at government buildings would fly at half-staff for seven days. He postponed international travel to focus on the crisis. British Columbia Premier David Eby spoke of hugging children tighter and pledged support, while also announcing plans to review the suspect’s interactions with the province’s mental health system. Thursday was declared a provincial day of mourning, with the legislative assembly postponing its throne speech for a moment of silence.
As the investigation continues, the motive remains unclear. Community members, including local clergy and families, gathered at support centers, grappling with unimaginable loss in a place where everyone knows one another. The tragedy has shaken not only Tumbler Ridge but all of Canada, highlighting the need for ongoing mental health support and community resilience in the face of such profound grief.
