Eight people are dead, including the shooter, and at least 27 others injured following a mass shooting that unfolded across two locations in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Authorities have identified the suspect as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar.
The attacks began at a private residence where Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). She then proceeded to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she opened fire, resulting in the deaths of six more individuals – a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, a 12-year-old male student, and a 13-year-old male student. Van Rootselaar died at the school from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The incident at the school prompted a lockdown, with students and faculty barricading themselves in classrooms, and offices. Twenty-seven people sustained injuries, with two airlifted to hospitals in critical condition, though authorities initially reported a higher death toll before revising the number downward on Wednesday.
The RCMP confirmed that Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health issues and that police had responded to calls at the family home on multiple occasions over the past several years due to concerns about her mental wellbeing. In some instances, she was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for assessment. It remains unclear whether she was currently receiving mental health care.
Jesse Van Rootselaar had previously attended Tumbler Ridge Secondary School but had dropped out four years prior to the shooting.
The shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in Canada since the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks and the deadliest school shooting since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, operated by School District 59 Peace River South, serves students in grades 7 through 12 and has a student population of approximately 175.
Investigators have not yet established a motive for the shooting. The RCMP stated that they believe Van Rootselaar acted alone and that there are no other outstanding suspects. The investigation is ongoing.
