A small Canadian community is mourning an unimaginable tragedy after a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School left nine people dead and 27 others injured, becoming one of the most devastating attacks in the country’s history.
The violence erupted on Tuesday afternoon, February 10, in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a tight-knit town of about 2,400 residents situated over 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) northeast of Vancouver, near the Rocky Mountains. Police were alerted to an active shooter at 1:20 p.m. MST, triggering an immediate lockdown that lasted more than four hours before the all-clear was issued at 5:45 p.m. PT.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers found six victims dead inside the school. The suspected gunman was also discovered at the scene, having died from what investigators called “a self-inflicted injury.” Two more victims were located in a home elsewhere in town connected to the attack, raising the death toll to nine including the shooter. Another critically wounded individual was airlifted to a hospital and survived.
Twenty-seven people were injured during the shooting. Emergency health teams transported victims to nearby hospitals, with at least two reported to be in serious or life-threatening condition.
The suspect was identified by the RCMP as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, a former student. At a Wednesday news conference, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said Van Rootselaar, a Tumbler Ridge resident, was a biological male who began transitioning to female roughly six years prior. The motive for Canada’s deadliest attack since 2020 remains unknown.
Students sheltered behind locked and barricaded classroom doors for more than two hours as the terrifying situation unfolded. Grade 12 student Darian Quist told CBC that once he realized the situation was real, he and his classmates “grabbed tables and barricaded the doors.” He later described the ordeal as “almost surreal.”
Bryan Castellarin, whose 15-year-old son Ashton survived, recounted the panic. “All of a sudden they heard gunshots going off,” he said of his son’s experience. Students remained confined and terrified for hours. “My son was trying to comfort others. He tried to stay calm, but he’s shaken and scared.”
When police finally secured the school, students were escorted out with their hands in the air and frisked by officers before being reunited with their families. Officers reached the school within two minutes of the initial call, a response time that British Columbia Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger credited with saving lives.
The tragedy has left Tumbler Ridge reeling. Founded in the early 1980s to support regional coal mining, the town is known for its deep sense of community. Mayor Darryl Krakowka emphasized how personally residents feel the loss. “I will know every victim. I’ve lived here 18 years, and this is a small community,” he told CBC. “I don’t call them residents. I call them family.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered federal buildings to fly flags at half-staff for seven days and suspended question period in Parliament on Wednesday. “Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation grieves with you, and Canada stands with you,” Carney told Parliament, visibly emotional.
Carney also cancelled his trip to the Munich Security Conference so he could stay in Canada during the crisis. He had been slated to give a speech and meet with international leaders. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said trauma-informed counselors were being sent to support the community.
Condolences came in from around the globe. King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed that they were “profoundly shocked and saddened,” calling the attack “a senseless act of brutal violence.” Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Canadians to rally around the grieving community. Governor General Mary Simon encouraged the country to show compassion, saying, “During this unimaginable tragedy, all of Canada carries Tumbler Ridge in its heart.”
Hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser, whose Team Canada held an Olympic training camp in the area in 2010, shared her affection for the town. “It’s a beautiful, quaint place. My heart breaks for the families and for a community that has always meant so much to me,” she wrote. The Toronto Blue Jays also offered their condolences.
Larry Neufeld, Conservative MLA for Peace River South, said he was heartbroken. “I don’t know that my thoughts and prayers are enough for the people of Tumbler Ridge,” he said. “It’s beyond devastating.”
The victims—most between 12 and 13 years old—are being remembered by their families as happy, loving children whose absence leaves an enormous void.
The RCMP released the names of the eight people killed in the shootings: Zoey Benoit, 12, a student described by her family as strong, lively, compassionate, intelligent, and resilient.
Ticaria Lampert, 12, a student. Her mother Sarah said she was like a tiki torch, glowing with joy and love.
Abel Mwansa, 12, a student. His father told CBC News he was a bright, motivated child whose warm smile was well-known in the community.
Ezekiel Schofield, 13, a student.
Kylie Smith, 12, a student. Her family said she was a talented artist who dreamed of studying in Toronto.
Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39, a teacher. Although her family chose not to speak publicly, one student called her and other staff members heroes.
Victims found inside the Fellers Avenue residence:
Emmett Jacobs, 11, the shooter’s stepbrother. Jennifer Strang, 39, the shooter’s mother, identified by police under her legal name, Jennifer Jacobs.
Authorities also recognized the four officers who were the first to enter Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, commending their exceptional bravery.
