In the remote mining town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a quiet community of just 2,400 residents was shattered on February 10, 2026, by one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings in decades. The suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, has been identified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as the individual responsible for killing nine people—including herself—in a horrifying sequence of events that began at home and ended at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

Van Rootselaar, who was assigned male at birth but began transitioning to female approximately six years ago and identified publicly as female, had a documented history of mental health concerns. Police had responded to multiple calls at the family home over the years, including incidents involving mental health assessments and temporary firearm seizures. Authorities confirmed she dropped out of the same school four years earlier and was no longer a student at the time of the attack.

The tragedy unfolded rapidly. First, at the family residence, Van Rootselaar fatally shot her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother. She then proceeded to the local secondary school armed with a long gun and a modified handgun, where she opened fire indiscriminately. Victims included a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys aged 12 and 13. Several others were wounded, some critically, as chaos erupted in classrooms and hallways. Students barricaded themselves while classmates sent desperate texts describing blood and terror. Officers responded swiftly, engaging the suspect, who was later found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the school.

What has stunned investigators and the public alike is the discovery of prior digital communication between Van Rootselaar and at least one current student at the school. Police uncovered messages exchanged shortly before the attack, with one chilling exchange consisting of just four words. Authorities are now intensely examining whether this contact points to a deeper personal connection—specifically, suspicions of a romantic or intimate relationship. This potential link has raised urgent questions about motives, grooming risks, and missed warning signs in a case already complicated by the suspect’s mental health background and family dynamics.

While the full motive remains under investigation, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald emphasized that the suspect acted alone and urged the public to avoid speculation. Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation, expressing profound grief and promising support for the grieving community, describing Tumbler Ridge as a tight-knit place of hardworking families now forever changed.

The incident has reignited national debates on mental health support, firearm access (despite the suspect’s expired license and no active registrations), and school safety in remote areas. As forensic teams comb through evidence—including devices holding those cryptic messages—the four-word text looms as a haunting clue in a tragedy that has left a small town in mourning and a country searching for answers.