Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Canadian PM Carney addresses ‘emotional’ Parliament as he orders federal response for BC town
A lone shooter open fired inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School killing a teacher, 5 students and was later found deceased on what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury at around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The BC RCMP identified the suspect as 18-year-old, Jesse Van Rootselaar, who is a resident of Tumbler Ridge. The fatalities included a female teacher, 39; three 12-year-old female students and two male students aged 12 and 13.
The two other victims were Jesse’s mother, Jennifer Strang, and sibling, Emmett, who were found dead inside their home, according to CTV News.
Two firearms, a long gun and a modified handgun, were recovered by responding officers. Determining the origin of these firearms and what role they played in the shootings remains part of the active investigation, the RCMP added in a statement.
The mass shooting left 25 individuals injured inside the school with about 100 students. Once it was determined to be safe, officers evacuated over 100 students and faculty to a local community centre while police continued to assess whether any ongoing threats remained.
It was the second deadliest mass shooting in a school in Canada after the incident in L’Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal in December 1989 where 14 female students and a college employee were killed, and 13 others were injured when Marc Lepine carried out the worst school shooting in Canada’s history.
In Tuesday’s bloody rampage, two victims were airlifted to hospitals in Vancouver and remain in serious condition. They are 12 years old and 19 years old, respectively.
The shooting shook the BC town with approximately 2,300 residents, including a two-percent Filipino population.
“This is traumatizing,” Grade 9 Student, Vince Macadangdang, told Omni News in an interview.
“Sobrang kaba ko..hindi ko ma-contact yung anak ko. Nanay ka, hindi mo alam kung ano yung nangyayari…kung nasaan yung anak mo,” Vince’s mother Renelyn added.
Parents of other students became emotional in separate interviews yesterday as they recalled the trauma they had to go through during Tuesday’s incident.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” PM Carney said.
BC Premier David Eby asked British Columbians to “wrap the people of Tumbler Ridge, wrap these families with love, not just tonight, but tomorrow and into the future, to something that will reverberate for years to come.”
The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines flew the Canadian flag at half-mast to pay tribute to the victims of the shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. (Photo from the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines Facebook page)
Aside from Carney and Eby, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and world leaders issued statements of condolences to the victims and their families and to the Canadian people as a whole.
What drove Jesse to shoot people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and the relationship between the shooter and the victims are still part of the ongoing investigation being conducted. Jesse had gone to the said school before dropping out a few years ago.
“We understand the community has questions and wants to understand the motive behind this tragic incident. We do believe the suspect acted alone and there are currently no other outstanding suspects. Our investigators remain on scene, actively gathering information to determine the full circumstances of what transpired,” said Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, BC RCMP Commanding Officer.
“I believe everyone can appreciate that the families are navigating profound loss and trauma. All efforts are focused on determining the appropriate next steps, including decisions around if, when, and how names or photos may be released. The families are fully engaged in these discussions, and we are working with them to provide an update as soon as possible,” he added.
Grieving family members and friends of victims, in interviews and social media posts Wednesday, shared how they want their loved ones to be remembered.
Burning Bush Ministries International – City of Grace Chapel shared on Facebook that Abel Jr., the son of their Pastor Abel Mwansa and his wife Bwalya Chisanga, was among the victims.
“This cut is the deepest. Lord, I thank you for 12 years 11 months we spent with you, and I know God still loves us and He didn’t take him but death did,” Abel’s post read. He wrote this together with the last video he took of his son a few days ago.
Soccer coach Tyler Curry knew Abel Jr. through the Tumbler Ridge Soccer Association, where he helped coach the under-13 team.
“He was a great player. He was giving it his all, he was trying so hard, and it’s just, he brought power to the team. There were times when we didn’t know what to do and (Mwansa) was sitting there, helping his other teammates,” Curry told Global News.
The other victim, Kylie May, was remembered as a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul,” on a GoFundMe page created by Kylie’s aunt, Shanon Dycke.
The B.C. government is cancelling the Throne Speech that was planned for Thursday at the legislature and will instead declare a province-wide day of mourning to remember all the victims of the mass shooting.