Canada Reels After Deadliest School Shooting in 40 Years
By [Your Name]
(Date: February 14, 2026)
In the remote mountain town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a peaceful school day turned into a nightmare that has reverberated throughout Canada and around the world. A lone gunman opened fire on students and educators in one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings in decades, leaving a community grieving — and a nation confronting profound questions about violence, isolation, gun access and mental health.
I. The Shooting: What Happened
On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at approximately 2:20 p.m. local time, an eighteen-year-old former student arrived at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia’s remote Peace River region. Armed with two firearms — a long gun and a modified handgun — the assailant began firing at school staff and students.
The shooter, later identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, had already killed two family members at their residence — their 39-year-old mother and an 11-year-old stepbrother — before arriving at the school.
Within minutes of the first shots, law enforcement received reports and a community emergency alert was issued. Authorities arrived at the school and found multiple victims. Van Rootselaar was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
By the end of the attack, nine people were dead — six at the school and two at the family home, plus the shooter — and 27 others were injured, many of them students and school staff.
II. The Victims
The tragedy claimed the lives of children and adults whose only connection to the community was their pursuit of education and connection:
Five students — ages 12 and 13 — were murdered at the school.
One adult educator — a 39-year-old assistant teacher — was also killed inside the school.
Two family members of the shooter were killed at their residence.
The shooter died by suicide shortly after the attacks.
Families and community members issued heartbreaking tributes on social media. One father mourned the loss of his 12-year-old son, while other families paid tribute to daughters, brothers, and neighbors whose lives were cut tragically short.
Among the victims were young students such as Kylie Smith, Abel Mwansa, Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert and Ezekiel Schofield — names now etched into the sorrowful history of Tumbler Ridge.
III. The Shooter: Jesse Van Rootselaar
Police confirmed the shooter was 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, an individual with a documented history of mental health struggles and previous interactions with law enforcement.
Van Rootselaar had been apprehended for mental health assessments on multiple occasions and was known to police in the region. Firearms had once been seized from the home after concerns were raised by neighbors, but were later returned after legal processes.
Although early reports described the shooter as a “woman in a dress,” indicating how the emergency alert described their appearance, police clarified that Van Rootselaar’s identity was determined based on how they chose to identify publicly.
At the time of the attack, Van Rootselaar was not a registered firearms owner, and the legal pathway by which the weapons used were obtained remains under active investigation.
At present, officials have not publicly confirmed a specific motive. However, mental health issues, social isolation, and troubling behaviors reported by acquaintances are being scrutinized as part of a broader inquiry.
IV. A Community in Mourning: Tumbler Ridge Responds
Tumbler Ridge, a remote town of roughly 2,700 residents, is a close-knit community surrounded by forested hills and known for its outdoor culture and tight social bonds.
For many residents, the shooting was a horrifying departure from everyday life. Students hid in classrooms, barricading doors with tables and chairs for more than two hours as the attack unfolded, awaiting police orders while the sounds of sirens and chaos echoed near the school.
Local officials, including Mayor Darryl Krakowka, described the tragedy as an unimaginable blow, one that would leave lasting wounds. Support services were immediately deployed, and residents gathered in vigils, laying flowers, candles, and messages of love around community centers and near the school gates.
V. The National Reaction: Canada in Shock
Across Canada, the reaction was one of disbelief, sorrow, and solidarity. Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation with emotion, describing the shooting as a devastating tragedy and offering condolences to grieving families.
Mr. Carney, alongside Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, participated in a candlelight vigil, demonstrating rare political unity in the wake of the tragedy. Both leaders pledged federal support for victims, their families, and the broader Tumbler Ridge community.
Flags were ordered flown at half-mast, and mental health and victim support resources were mobilized across British Columbia and other provinces. Officials emphasized that the community would not be left to heal alone.
VI. A Broader History of School Violence in Canada
While mass shootings are statistically less common in Canada than in some other countries, this attack is among the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history.
Before this event, the most infamous school shooting was the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal in 1989, when 14 women students were murdered by a gunman who targeted women in an explicitly sexist attack.
Also part of the historical record are lesser-known but tragic incidents such as the St. Pius X High School shooting in Ottawa in 1975 and the W.R. Myers High School shooting in Alberta in 1999.
The 2026 Tumbler Ridge shooting has now been identified as the deadliest school shooting since the École Polytechnique massacre and the deadliest mass shooting in Canada since the Nova Scotia rampage in 2020, which killed 22 people.
VII. Implications for Gun Policy and Mental Health Debate
In the wake of the attack, discussions of firearms policy and mental health resources have surged to the forefront of national discourse.
Canada’s gun laws are traditionally stricter than those in the United States, with provisions governing licensing, safe storage, and registration. However, the shooter’s ability to obtain and use weapons — especially given past police engagements — has raised questions about enforcement and loopholes.
Mental health advocates have pointed to the need for stronger community support systems, particularly in rural and isolated areas where access to care is limited. The tragedy exposed gaps in both preventative services and follow-up care for individuals with known struggles.
Political figures of all stripes have called for a sober, evidence-based approach to addressing these issues — not only to honor the victims, but to prevent future tragedies.
VIII. Voices from Survivors and Families
Interviews with survivors and family members paint a portrait of confusion, courage, and heartbreak:
Some students described the chaos as they hid in classrooms, comforting one another and improvising escape plans as the attack unfolded around them.
Families of victims shared memories of young lives full of promise — children who loved school, friends, and dreams of the future.
Community members recalled the sound of emergency sirens weaving through the town, the grinding halt of daily routines, and the surreal experience of watching a place once known for safety transformed by violence.
IX. What Happens Next
Investigations into the shooting are ongoing. RCMP officers are combing through evidence to understand how the attack unfolded, how the firearms were acquired and how the shooter’s past behavior intersected with law enforcement responses.
Meanwhile, school officials and provincial authorities have closed the secondary school for the week, with discussions underway about its long-term future and how to support returning students and staff.
National dialogues on firearm policy, mental health care and violence prevention continue — deeply rooted in the grief and urgency of a nation that has watched too many young lives taken too soon.
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