Tumbler Ridge shooting: suspect named as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar

Police have identified the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge attacks as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a resident of the town. The death toll was revised to nine, including the suspect, after a female victim with significant injuries survived and remains in critical condition.

Deaths at the suspect’s family home occurred before the attacker went to the high school; a 39-year-old woman found at the residence was the suspect’s mother and an 11-year-old victim was the suspect’s step‑brother. At the school, those killed included a 39‑year‑old teacher, three 12‑year‑old female students and two male students aged 12 and 13.

One victim was found in a stairwell and the others in the library. Investigators recovered two firearms at the scene — a long gun and a modified handgun — and are working to determine their origins and role. The suspect held a firearms licence that expired in 2024, had no currently registered firearms, and had dropped out of Tumbler Ridge secondary school about four years ago.

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