Was the Canadian school shooter transgender? Here is the latest update
By Easton Martin | February 12, 2026
New details have emerged following Tuesday’s fatal shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified 18 year old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the individual responsible.
The suspect, a former student who dropped out four years ago, killed their mother and 11 year old stepbrother at their residence before traveling to the school, and once there, fatally shot a teacher and five young students between the ages of 12 and 13.
In a formal briefing on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald provided a significant update regarding the suspect’s background. While initial police alerts described the shooter as a female in a dress with brown hair, investigators later discovered and confirmed that Van Rootselaar was born biologically male. Records indicate the suspect began a “transition to female” approximately six years ago and identified as female both socially and publicly. This discovery has become a focal point of the investigation into the suspect’s history and motives.
Law enforcement officials stated that mental illness was clearly a factor in the lead up to the violence. Police records reveal multiple prior visits to the suspect’s home for welfare checks and mental health related crises. During at least one previous interaction, authorities seized firearms from the residence, though the weapons were eventually returned to their legal owner.
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed grief for the victims, noting that the small community of 2,400 has been changed forever. At least 25 others were injured during the incident, which ended when the suspect took her own life in the school library. Law enforcement continues to examine the motive as they process the two separate crime scenes in this remote mountain town.
