Authorities confirm Jesse Van Rootselaar first shot her mother, 39, and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home before carrying out a deadly attack at her former school in Canada.

New Delhi: In one of the deadliest school shootings in Canada in decades, an 18-year-old trans woman carried out a mass shooting on February 10, 2026, killing eight people at her family home and her former school in the remote mining town of Tumbler Ridge. She later died by suicide at the scene, bringing the total death toll to nine.

Incident Locations and Sequence

The shooting first happened at a home on Fellers Avenue, where the attacker shot and killed two family members. She then traveled about 1.5 kilometers to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a public school with 191 students from grades 7 to 12. There, she opened fire before taking her own life.

Perpetrator Details

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified the attacker as Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old trans woman who was born male on August 4, 2007. She transitioned around six years ago and publicly identified as female. She was a former student of the school but dropped out around 2022.

Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health issues, and police had visited her home several times, including in spring 2025. She previously held a minor’s firearm license, which expired in 2024. However, she was not registered as owning any firearms. Police confirmed that she acted alone.

Victims and Injuries

At the family home, the victims were Van Rootselaar’s 39-year-old mother and her 11-year-old step-brother. Both were shot and killed.

At the school, the shooter killed six people, including a 39-year-old female teacher and five students between the ages of 12 and 13. The victims included three 12-year-old girls, one 12-year-old boy, and one 13-year-old boy. Investigators found most of the victims in the school library.

The attack injured twenty-seven other people. Doctors identified two of them with serious injuries and airlifted them to hospital. The shooter struck a 12-year-old girl in the head and neck, and emergency crews airlifted her to British Columbia Children’s Hospital, where she remained in critical condition. Medical staff treated around 25 others for non-life-threatening injuries at a local medical center. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims.

Timeline of Events

The shooting at the family home happened before the attack at the school. At the school, the attacker first killed one person in a stairwell and then went to the library, where she shot several others.

Police received a report of an active shooter at 1:20 p.m. PST and arrived within two minutes. An emergency alert was sent out at 2:15 p.m. PST and was lifted at 5:45 p.m. PST.

Weapons and Motive

Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun from the scene. The motive for the attack is still under investigation and remains unclear. No note was found.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said, “We don’t have an idea yet as to motive,” and added that “it would be too early to speculate.”

Police Response

Police first responded to a report from a family member about the shooting at the home, and then quickly responded to the school. The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service from Grande Prairie, Alberta, helped transport injured victims by air.

On February 11, police clarified that the number of victims was eight, not nine as first reported. School District 59 closed schools for the rest of the week.

Community and International Reactions

The small community, not used to such violence, was deeply shocked. A candlelight vigil was held to honor the victims.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for seven days and cancelled his planned trip to the Munich Security Conference. British Columbia Premier David Eby and other leaders promised support to the community. King Charles III and the Canadian Olympic Committee also shared their condolences.

Leaders from Australia, Estonia, France, Germany, Ukraine, India, South Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom also expressed sympathy. Meanwhile, some far-right commentators made unproven claims linking the attack to transgender identity.

The RCMP continues to investigate where the weapons came from and how the victims were connected. Officials also noted that such incidents are rare in Canada, which has strict gun laws.

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