A transgender teenager opened fire at his home and former high school in Tumbler Ridge, killing eight victims before taking his own life, police confirmed.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the suspect as Jesse Van Rootselaar on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald told reporters the teen was born male and had been transitioning to female for six years.
Officers found Van Rootselaar dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound after the attack.
Police said the violence began at the suspect’s residence. A 39-year-old woman believed to be the shooter’s mother and an 11-year-old stepbrother were fatally shot inside the home Tuesday.
Authorities learned of those deaths after a young female relative discovered the bodies and ran to a neighbor to call police around 2:45 p.m.
Investigators said Van Rootselaar then entered Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Six more people were killed inside the building. Five of the victims were children, including three 12-year-old girls, one 12-year-old boy, and one 13-year-old boy.
“They were quite young,” McDonald remarked during a news conference.
A 39-year-old female teacher also died in the school shooting. One victim was located in a stairwell, and McDonald stated he believed the remaining victims were found in the library.
Police first announced seven school deaths, but later clarified that a woman once thought dead survived and remained in critical but stable condition.
Authorities confirmed nine people died in total, including the suspect. It stands among the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history.
Officers received reports of an active shooter at about 1:20 p.m. The town entered lockdown as police moved across the campus.
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Students exited the building with hands raised while officers searched them before reuniting them with families.
Two people were airlifted with life-threatening injuries. Police estimated about 25 others sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
Investigators recovered two firearms at the school, a long gun and a modified handgun.
McDonald stated it remains unclear how each weapon was used during the attack.
Police had responded to the suspect’s home in past years for mental health calls.
During those responses, officers seized firearms from the residence. The lawful owner later petitioned for their return and regained possession.
Van Rootselaar once held a valid gun license, but McDonald confirmed it had lapsed.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive. Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters investigators are “still working towards” understanding what led to the violence.
“I think we will struggle to determine the why, but we’re going to try and do our best to determine what transpired that day and what led up to this tragic event in Tumbler Ridge and across our communities,” Floyd told the press.
The suspect knew the layout of the school because of past enrollment. Police said Van Rootselaar dropped out about four years ago.
The small northern British Columbia community counts about 2,400 residents. The secondary school enrolls roughly 160 students in Grades 7 through 12. The scale of the tragedy stunned local leaders.
Mayor Darryl Krakowka told reporters he “broke down” after hearing the news. He described the bloodshed as “devastating” for the town.
“I have lived here for 18 years,” Krakowka said. “I probably know every one of the victims. I don’t call them residents. I call them family.”
One victim, Kylie May Smith, was identified by relatives through a fundraising campaign.
The online page states, “We are completely devastated and have no words as we try to process the magnitude of the situation.”
Smith’s aunt, Shanon Dycke, wrote that the family’s “world has crumbled” after losing her “beautiful niece.”
She added, “She was at Tumbler Ridge school yesterday, and didn’t make it out.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation after the massacre.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” Carney stated.
“Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country – our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other.”
Carney canceled a planned trip to Halifax and Munich in the wake of the shooting. He had been scheduled to announce a defense industrial strategy before traveling to the Munich Security Conference.
Provincial leaders announced British Columbia will observe a day of mourning. A joint statement from the legislature’s three house leaders declared, “The people of British Columbia mourn together with the people of Tumbler Ridge.”
The statement added, “We are united and will continue to ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days.”
