Who Was Jesse Van Rootselaar? 18-Year-Old Trans Woman With Mental Health History Identified As Canada School Shooting Suspect After 9 Deaths

On February 10, 2026, a mass shooting took place in the small town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, Canada, after one of the 18-year-old self identified Jesse Van rootselaar was involved in the massacre that killed several people and injured many others.

Who Was Jesse Van Rootselaar? 18-Year-Old Trans Woman With Mental Health History Identified As Canada School Shooting Suspect After 9 Deaths

Police established that the suspected shooter killed their 39-year-old mother and stepbrother at their home first, after which he proceeded to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opened fire in the building. The gunman killed a teacher and a number of students in the school, the majority of the students were between the ages of 12 and 13 before killing himself on the ground. Two weapons, a long gun and a modified handgun were recovered by the authorities, and the motive of the tragedy is still under investigation.

The law enforcement agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald conducted press conferences to provide information on the unfolding situation at a very high pace. The suspect who described himself as female was born a male and had already dropped out of the same school, as well as a long history of police visits related to mental health over the years. The police said they had been called to the family house on several occasions over the same issues and on one occasion, the police had to temporarily confiscate firearms but they were later returned. Although he has a mental health history and past experience with police, investigators have not publicly identified a definite motive of the rampage. 

Canada School Shooting

The shootings rocked the small close knit community of less than 3,000 people and extended across Canada releasing an outpouring of grieving and national interest on the safety of schools and gun violence. The attack also led to the closure of local schools and support services were also sent to help families, students, and first responders traumatized during the events. The tragedy is one of the most fatal mass shootings in the recent Canadian history and the federal and local authorities are still working on the context of the tragedy.

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