Roblox has removed an account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old suspect in a fatal school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, after the platform hosted a game simulating a mall shooting. Van Rootselaar is accused of killing nine people, including his mother, a stepbrother, students, and a teacher, before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 10.
The discovered Roblox experience featured a blocky, cartoon character equipped with weapons and firing into crowds within a virtual shopping mall. It was initially identified by users on the online forum Kiwi Farms, with videos of the simulation spreading online prior to removal. Roblox stated the game had seven recorded visits before deletion and confirmed the user account and associated content were taken down. A company spokesperson called the incident “horrifying.”
Van Rootselaar’s alleged online activity extends beyond Roblox. Analysis by the ADL Center on Extremism indicates he maintained a presence on the graphic website WatchPeopleDie, which shares violent content and has been linked to glorifying mass shooters. Reportedly, an account tied to him commented on videos of previous attacks, expressing interest in first-person shooter recordings.
On Reddit, posts attributed to Van Rootselaar discussed suicidal ideation, gender transition, and mental health struggles. A February 2023 post detailed starting a fire at home while using psychedelic mushrooms, mentioned psychiatric hospitalizations, and noted an autism spectrum diagnosis. Police confirmed they had responded to his family home numerous times for mental health-related complaints. Additionally, Van Rootselaar held a minor’s firearms license that expired in 2024.
Initially, the RCMP described the suspect as a “gunperson in a dress” and an “18-year-old female.” Following media inquiries, an RCMP spokesperson clarified that “Jesse was born as a biological male.” The attack is one of the deadliest in Canada since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. The investigation into the shooting and the suspect’s digital footprint continues, raising questions about online radicalization and platform monitoring.
