Canadian High School Shooting Leaves Eight Dead
Last update: February 12, 2026
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Police confirm shooter acted alone, and no victims were specifically targeted.
Eight people were killed in a shocking shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canadian authorities confirmed.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the school.
CBI News reports that Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home before going to the school, where she had previously attended until dropping out four years ago.
“Police had attended that residence multiple times over the years due to mental health concerns,” McDonald said.
Authorities also noted that firearms previously seized from the family were returned following a successful appeal. Van Rootselaar’s firearms license had expired in 2024.
The school victims included a 39-year-old teacher and five students, aged 12 and 13.
Officers found one victim in a stairwell and the others in the library. More than 25 people were injured, with two critically, ages 12 and 19.
Police arrived two minutes after the first emergency call.
McDonald confirmed that Van Rootselaar acted alone and that investigators have found no evidence of the victims being specifically targeted.
A long gun and a modified handgun were recovered at the scene.
A young girl discovered the bodies at the family home and alerted a neighbor, who contacted authorities.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional, addressed the tragedy, saying, “We will get through this. We will learn from this.”
He canceled a planned trip to Europe and ordered flags to fly at half-mast for seven days.
King Charles also sent condolences, describing himself as “profoundly shocked and saddened.”
Residents described Tumbler Ridge, a remote mountain town of 2,400 people, as a tight-knit community where “everyone knows everyone.”
Many expressed grief and disbelief over the loss of children and community members.
School shootings are rare in Canada, which maintains stricter gun laws than the United States.
Previous mass shootings include a 2020 rampage in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people, and the 1989 Montreal École Polytechnique attack that claimed 14 lives.
