An 18-year-old suspect carried out a deadly attack at a high school in British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring 27 before dying by suicide. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated the shooter had no specific target and was indiscriminately “hunting” for victims.
The incident began at the suspect’s home, where Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother, Jennifer Strang, and her 11-year-old stepbrother. She then proceeded to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a institution she had formerly attended before dropping out approximately four years prior. At the school, she shot five children and a teacher. Two of the injured sustained life-threatening wounds and were airlifted to hospital.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald described the attack as random. “There was no specific targeting of any individuals. This suspect was, for lack of a better term, hunting,” he said. “They were prepared and engaging anybody and everybody they could come into contact with.”
Police recovered three firearms from the scene: a long gun and a modified handgun from the school, and a shotgun from the family residence. A number of additional firearms were also seized from the home. Investigators determined the primary weapon used in the school attack was not among those previously seized by police, and its origin remains under investigation.
Van Rootselaar had a documented history of mental health concerns and had been apprehended for assessment on multiple occasions, according to police. Her firearms license, which she held, expired in 2024. Notably, a couple of years prior, firearms were seized from her residence but were later returned following a successful court petition by the lawful owner. McDonald confirmed the firearm used in the attack was not among those returned items.
The suspect’s mother had previously posted on social media about her child’s interest in firearms, including a 2024 post showing rifles in a case with the caption “it’s time to take them out for some target practice.”
Brian Landry, an RCMP-certified firearms instructor, asserted the system failed, contending that an individual with serious, documented mental health issues should not have access to firearms. The RCMP investigation continues, focusing on the sequence of events, the exact origin of the weapon used, and the broader circumstances that allowed the suspect to acquire a firearm with an expired license. The tragedy has intensified scrutiny over firearm access and mental health intervention protocols in Canada.
