18-year-old trans woman with mental health history named as Canada school shooter

Canadian police have identified the suspect behind a deadly school shooting in British Columbia as an 18-year-old woman with a history of mental health issues, as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events behind one of the worst mass killings in Canada’s recent history.

According to news agency Reuters, authorities said Jesse Van Rootselaar died by suicide after opening fire on Tuesday at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, a remote community of about 2,400 people. Nine people, including the suspect, were killed. Police earlier reported 10 deaths before revising the figure.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commander of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, said Van Rootselaar was a former student at the school who dropped out four years ago.

She was found dead in the school’s library, where most of the victims were shot. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Van Rootselaar began her social transition about six years ago. Police said she was assigned male at birth. Soon after the shooting was reported at about 1:20 pm Pacific Time, police issued an alert for a "female in a dress with brown hair".

Authorities said Van Rootselaar acted alone and there was no indication of accomplices. "We do believe the suspect acted alone ... it would be too early to speculate on motive," McDonald told reporters.

MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY

Police said Van Rootselaar had been apprehended more than once under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act for assessment and treatment.

Local officers had visited her family home several times over the years in response to concerns about her wellbeing. Some of those visits involved mental health evaluations.

"Police had attended that (family) residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect," McDonald said.

Authorities also confirmed that firearms had previously been seized from the home and later returned after an appeal by the legal owner. Van Rootselaar had once held a firearms licence, which expired in 2024.

FAMILY MEMBERS AMONG VICTIMS

Investigators said the shooting began at the suspect’s family home, where her mother, 39, and 11-year-old stepbrother were found dead.

A young female relative raised the alarm after alerting a neighbour, leading police to discover the bodies.

McDonald said Van Rootselaar is believed to have killed her family members before going to the school.

At the school, police said she shot a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys aged 12 and 13. A long gun and a modified handgun were recovered at the scene. Two victims remain in hospital in critical condition.

CARNEY ORDERS FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

The attack has shocked the country. A visibly emotional Mark Carney addressed reporters hours after the tragedy.

"We will get through this. We will learn from this," he said. Carney postponed an overseas trip and ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-mast for seven days. Parliament later observed a moment of silence.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he described the close-knit nature of the community.

"It is a town of miners, teachers, construction workers - families who have built their lives there, people who have always shown up for each other there ... Tumbler Ridge represents the very best of Canada," he said. World leaders, including King Charles, also sent messages of condolence.

AMONG CANADA’S DEADLIEST SHOOTINGS

The Tumbler Ridge attack ranks among the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history.

Canada has stricter gun laws than the United States, but licensed citizens are allowed to own firearms after background checks and safety training. Minors aged 12 to 17 can also obtain restricted licences under supervision.

In April 2020, a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 22 people in a 13-hour rampage. In 1989, 14 women were murdered at Montreal’s cole Polytechnique in the country’s worst school shooting.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies