The shooter in the Tumbler Ridge attack that left nine dead and many injured was an 18-year-old who struggled with mental health issues, according to police and family accounts.
Authorities have said police had previous contact with Jesse Van Rootselaar and that she had been apprehended for assessment under the Mental Health Act.
Investigators are examining the shooter’s personal history, online activity, and access to firearms as they seek to determine what led to the violence.
Here’s what we know.
Age and identity
Van Rootselaar was 18 years old at the time of the shooting and was a resident of Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Deputy commissioner Dwayne McDonald said they “identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media,” explaining that Van Rootselaar was born biologically male and began transitioning “approximately six years ago to female.”
In a press conference Wednesday, he confirmed that authorities have “a history of police attendance at the family residence” in relation to mental health issues, “with respect to the suspect.”
McDonald added that police had visited the house on multiple occasions over the last several years, and that the suspect had been “apprehended for assessment” under the Mental Health Act.
The last time authorities had contact with the shooter was “sometime last year,” McDonald said.
When asked if Van Rootselaar had been receiving mental health counselling, McDonald said he did not have information on whether she was currently receiving care.
Court records from earlier family proceedings show Van Rootselaar’s parents were involved in custody disputes during her childhood. In one decision, a provincial court judge described the family as having led an “almost nomadic” life, with frequent moves across Western Canada.
The ruling noted the father had limited involvement in her upbringing.
Firearms history
RCMP said Van Rootselaar once possessed a firearms license, but it had expired. She did not have any firearms registered to her, police said.
Investigators recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene. It remains under investigation whether the firearms were obtained legally and by whom.
In Wednesday’s press conference, McDonald confirmed that police had attended the residence some years back and seized firearms “under the criminal code.”
He added that at a later date, “the lawful owner of those firearms petitioned for those firearms to returned, and they were.”
No criminal charges were laid in relation to those firearms at the time.
Online activity
Online gaming platform Roblox confirmed it removed a user account belonging to Van Rootselaar that was used to create and share a shopping mall massacre simulation.
In a statement to CTV News, the company said it is “committed to fully supporting law enforcement in their investigation” into the shootings.
“We have removed the user account connected to this horrifying incident as well as any content associated with the suspect,” a Roblox spokesperson said.
Roblox said the account and its associated content were taken down on Feb. 11, one day after the attack.
The company said the simulation was not widely accessible and could only be viewed through a separate application used by coders and developers.
“Because of this, the experience had only seven visits,” the spokesperson said.
Videos circulating online appear to show a character moving through a virtual mall and using various weapons to shoot other characters.
Was she a student at the school?
Police said Van Rootselaar was not attending Tumbler Ridge Secondary School at the time of the shooting and had dropped out approximately four years ago.
RCMP have not provided details about when she left the school or what her connection to the current students may have been.
Was this a targeted attack?
Investigators said it’s too early to determine motive.
“We don’t have information at this point to suggest that anyone was specifically targeted,” McDonald said.
Police have confirmed that the shooter was not related to any of the victims of the school.
Did she act alone?
Police said they believe the suspect acted alone and there are no other outstanding suspects.
Investigators from the B.C. RCMP Major Crime unit remain on scene as they work to determine the full circumstance surrounding the shooting.
Who are the victims?
RCMP have confirmed the identities of the victims.
Victims from Tumbler Ridge Secondary School
- Abel Mwansa: 12 years old
- Ezekiel Schofield: 13 years old
- Kylie Smith: 12 years old
- Zoey Benoit: 12 years old
- Ticaria Lampert: 12 years old
- Shannda Aviugana-Durand: 39 years old
Victims from residence on Fellers Avenue
- Emmett Jacobs: 11 years old
- Jennifer Jacobs: 39 years old
