Jesse Van Rootselaar was found dead in the school’s library. (Photo: X/AP)
18 year‑old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender woman with a history of mental‑health challenges, was identified by RCMP as the shooter who first killed her mother and 11‑year‑old step‑brother at their home before storming her former secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Tuesday; she then opened fire, leaving nine people dead including six children and a teacher before taking her own life with a self‑inflicted gunshot.
What exactly happened?
The shooting took place on Tuesday afternoon at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has around 160 students.
Police say the suspect entered the school armed with a long gun and a modified handgun and opened fire on students and staff. Officers arrived within two minutes and were reportedly fired upon before entering the building.
Inside, they found victims in a classroom and a stairwell. The suspect was also found dead.
Earlier reports suggested 10 people had died, but Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) later confirmed the death toll stands at nine.
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Who were the victims?
Those killed at the school include a 39-year-old female teacher, three girls aged 12 and two boys aged 12 and 13.
Police later discovered two more bodies at a nearby home — a 39-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy. Officers said they were the suspect’s mother and step-brother.
At least two people were airlifted to hospital, and around 25 others were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. One girl remains in critical condition.
Who was the suspect?
Deputy RCMP Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said the suspect had been “born as a biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female”, according to the BBC.
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Police said they described the suspect in line with how the individual identified publicly and on social media.
The road is blocked off before the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., Canada, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Jesse Boily/The Canadian Press via AP)
McDonald said the suspect had dropped out of school four years ago. When asked whether bullying related to gender transition could have played a role, he said there was no information to suggest that.
Officers had attended the family home several times in recent years for mental health-related calls, some involving weapons. On at least one occasion, firearms were seized and later returned to their lawful owner.
Police said the shooter first killed her mother, 39, and 11-year-old stepbrother at the family home before attacking the nearby school that she attended four years ago.
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How has Canada responded?
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed parliament after a minute of silence, saying: “What happened has left our nation in shock and all of us in mourning.”
“Our entire country stands with you,” he said, according to The Guardian.
The Tumbler Ridge Health Centre is shown in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Jesse Boily/The Canadian Press via AP)
Flags on federal buildings will be flown at half-mast for seven days. The federal public safety minister is being sent to the town, which has fewer than 2,500 residents.
Local authorities have set up a community support centre and counselling services. The school will remain closed for the rest of the week. Police say further updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
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Jesse Van Rootselaar was found dead in the school’s library. (Photo: X/AP) 
