OTTAWA: Canadian police on Wednesday said the suspect in a deadly school shooting in western Canada was an 18-year-old woman with a history of mental health issues, who killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school in what authorities described as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s history.
#Canada school shooting: Police say an 18-year-old former student with prior mental health interventions acted alone, killing her mother and stepbrother at home before opening fire at a school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. She later died by suicide.https://t.co/Zttqh2d9Yk
— The Himalayan Post (@post_himalayan) February 12, 2026
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The suspect, identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, died by suicide after the attack on Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, a remote community of about 2,400 people in the province of British Columbia. Police revised the death toll to nine, including the shooter, after initially reporting 10 fatalities.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Van Rootselaar had previously been apprehended multiple times under the provincial Mental Health Act for assessment. Police had responded to concerns at the family residence on several occasions over the past few years, he added. Investigators said it was too early to determine a motive and that there was no indication specific individuals were targeted.
We are mourning with the families of those killed at the school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. pic.twitter.com/fDbdcbbL2l
— Bishar Shirwa (@bshirwac) February 12, 2026
According to police, Van Rootselaar first killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home before going to the school, where she fatally shot a teacher and several students. Dozens of people were injured in the attack, with two victims, including a 12-year-old girl, remaining in critical condition.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional, said the nation was in shock and mourning. He postponed a planned trip to Europe and ordered flags on government buildings to be flown at half-mast for seven days. Parliament observed a moment of silence later in the day.
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The mayor of Tumbler Ridge described the town as a close-knit community struggling to cope with the tragedy. Residents said the violence had shattered a sense of safety in a place where people rarely locked their doors.
Canada has strict gun-control laws compared with the United States, and school shootings are extremely rare. The incident has reignited national discussion about mental health support, gun access and public safety in the wake of a tragedy that has left the country grieving.