In a tragedy that has shaken the small mountain community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia in Canada, a mass shooting has claimed nine lives and left 27 others injured.
The attack, which unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, now stands as one of the deadliest mass casualty events in modern Canadian history.
The crisis began at approximately 1:20 p.m. MST, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) received frantic reports of an active shooter on the campus.
Officers arrived within minutes and found multiple victims at the school. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene inside the school, while another died en route to hospital.
Two additional fatalities were discovered at a private residence in the town connected to the incident.
The suspect, identified by RCMP as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a local resident, was found deceased at the school from what authorities described as a self-inflicted injury.
Police believe Van Rootselaar first killed two relatives-her mother and stepbrother, at the home before proceeding to the school.
The suspect was described as biologically male at birth who began transitioning to female approximately six years ago.
Among the victims at the school were one female teacher and five students, most aged 12 to 13 years old, with three female students and two male students confirmed dead at the school.
Many of the fatalities occurred in the school library.
The total death toll stands at nine victims, excluding the suspect, bringing the overall fatalities to 10 including the shooter in some counts.
Twenty-seven others were injured, including two with life-threatening wounds who required airlifting for treatment.
One initially reported fatality later survived serious injuries, leading to minor revisions in early tolls.
Tumbler Ridge, a remote community of about 2,400 residents near the Canadian Rockies, was placed under lockdown during the response.
The secondary school serves roughly 160 students in grades 7-12.
Residents described the event as shocking in the tight-knit town, with many knowing the victims personally.
Town officials and families expressed profound grief, with one councillor’s wife present at the school during the incident.
The attack ranks as the deadliest mass shooting in Canada since the 2020 Nova Scotia rampage and the country’s deadliest school shooting since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre.
Police have stated that prior mental health-related calls had been made to the suspect’s family residence, though no motive has been released.
The investigation continues, with RCMP emphasizing that no ongoing threat exists to the public.
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation on Wednesday, expressing devastation and noting that flags were flown at half-mast across Canada.
“This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love,” Carney said.
He added, “We will get through this. We will learn from this. But right now, it’s a time to come together… to support each other, to mourn together and to grow together.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the event as an “unimaginable tragedy” and pledged support for affected families.
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