TUMBLER RIDGE (British Columbia) – The small community of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia is still in a state of profound shock after the massacre that shook the town of just 2,400 residents on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. New details that have emerged in the past few hours make it even harder for the victims’ families to bear the weight of what happened. According to information provided by the RCMP, the tragic outcome—nine dead and twenty-seven injured—could be seen, in some respects, as a kind of “foretold tragedy.” Here’s why. 

According to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the RCMP, speaking during a briefing with journalists (watch video is here below), the perpetrator of the massacre, 18-year-old transgender Jesse Van Rootselaar (born male, who began transitioning a few years ago), was not unknown to the police. Authorities had already visited her home on several occasions due to mental health emergencies, and on at least one of these visits firearms had been seized, later returned to the family.

“Police had attended that residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect. I can say that on different occasions the suspect was apprehended for assessment and followup…” McDonald said. Some of these interventions, McDonald added, involved the application of the Mental Health Act, the provincial law that allows law enforcement to take a person to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation when there are concerns for their own safety or the safety of others. In some cases, the individual was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital, he explained, adding, however, “I do not have information at this time about whether the suspect was currently receiving care…”.

McDonald also revealed that, approximately two years ago, police had intervened at the same residence and had seized firearms. “Police have attended that residence in the past approximately a couple years ago where firearms were seized under the Criminal Code,” he said. The officers had found weapons secured in a safe inside the home.

However, no criminal charges were laid, and the lawful owner of the firearms (maybe Jesse’s mother, Jennifer Strang, given a photo of guns that she posted on Facebook) petitioned to have them returned, which was granted. None of the weapons, in fact, were registered to Jesse, who, according to police, held a firearms license that had expired. It is not yet clear whether the weapons used in the attack came from those previously seized or from another source; police have stated that this remains one of the main aspects under investigation.

Regarding the suspect’s identity, McDonald explained that Jesse publicly identified as female and had begun her gender transition approximately six years ago. “We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and in social media,” he said. “I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately — the information that I have — approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female both socially and publicly.” At present, however, there is no indication that the suspect had experienced bullying at school, although she had apparently left that school around the time she began her transition at just twelve years old.

Reconstructing the law enforcement response on the day of the massacre, federal police confirmed that the suspect first killed her mother, Jennifer Strang, 39, and her 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett, at home. She then went to the school and opened fire on students and staff, killing five pupils aged 12 to 13 and a 39-year-old teacher, and injuring another 27 people.

Upon police arrival, Jesse took her own life. In the end, she too became a victim—of a system that could and should have helped her, because it knew, but ultimately did not.

Vigil and Prayers for Heroic Maya

TUMBLER RIDGE (British Columbia) – Shock and grief hang heavy over Tumbler Ridge, as the community struggles to make sense of the inexplicable school massacre. At an impromptu vigil of flowers, candles, and toys, Mayor Darryl Krakowka addressed the crowd gathered in the cold on Wednesday evening. “It’s OK to cry,” he said, emphasizing that expressing grief and vulnerability is part of mourning. He added that Tumbler Ridge is “one big family,” and that the community must stay united to support the affected families, “not just in the days ahead, but forever…”

RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd acknowledged the heavy burden the tragedy has placed on the town. “At the end of the day, every citizen and every person in Tumbler Ridge, including our first responders, goes home to their families trying to explain this, and sometimes there’s just no way to explain it,” he said.

Many are seeking comfort through social media and news outlets, sharing their grief and hope. Among them are the family members of 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was seriously injured in the shooting and airlifted to B.C. Children’s Hospital. “She’s fighting for her life right now,” said Krysta Hunt, Maya’s mother’s cousin. She recounted that during the attack, Maya “tried to lock the library door to keep the shooter from getting out and to protect the other children; then she ran to hide under a table, but was hit by a gunshot.” Now, the heroic girl is battling for her life in a hospital bed—and everyone is praying for her recovery.