A mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in a small Canadian community left nine people dead and 27 others hurt, marking one of the most devastating attacks in the nation’s history.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 10, 2026, in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — a close-knit town of about 2,400 people situated over 685 miles northeast of Vancouver in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Police received reports of an active shooter at 1:20 p.m., prompting a lockdown that lasted more than four hours until authorities confirmed the threat was contained at 5:45 p.m.
RCMP officers discovered six victims inside the school: a 39-year-old educational assistant, identified as Shannda Aviugana-Durand, five children: Zoey Benoit, 12; Ticaria Lampert, 12; Kylie Smith, 12; Abel Mwansa, 12; and Ezekiel Schofield, 13.
Two people were severely hurt and flown to the hospital: 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her head and neck. Maya was airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where she underwent emergency brain surgery in mid-February due to fluid build-up caused by hydrocephalus. The surgery was successful, and by late February her family reported she had opened her eyes, was taking her own breaths, and had been moved to a recovery section of the hospital. Her long-term prognosis remains uncertain. The second survivor, 19-year-old Paige Hoekstra, was shot in the chest and discharged from the hospital on Feb. 16.
The suspect was also found inside, having died from a self-inflicted wound. Two additional victims were located in a nearby residence—identified as the shooter’s mother, Jennifer Strang, 39, and 11-year-old half-brother, Emmett Jacobs. In total, nine people, including the shooter, died.
The shooter was publicly named by the RCMP as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school. Police said Van Rootselaar first killed her mother and half-brother at their home on Fellers Avenue before heading to the school with firearms. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald stated that Van Rootselaar, who was assigned male at birth, began transitioning to female about six years earlier. The motive for the attack, the deadliest in Canada since 2020, remains unknown.
Investigators later confirmed four firearms were recovered across both crime scenes: a modified rifle and a long gun at the school, and a shotgun and additional firearms at the home. Strang legally possessed a firearms licence, though RCMP noted that no guns were registered to it. Police added that firearms had previously been seized from the home under the Criminal Code years earlier, but were later returned to their lawful owner. RCMP confirmed the main firearm used at the school had never been previously seized by police and its origin remains unknown. The shotgun believed used in the home killings had also never been seized. The disclosure intensified public scrutiny of Canada’s “red flag” gun laws — a CBC investigation published in early March found that since the law came into force in late 2023, only a single red flag order has been recorded in the national firearms database across the entire country.
As the situation unfolded, students remained locked inside classrooms for more than two hours. Grade 12 student Darian Quist told CBC that he and his classmates barricaded the doors once they realized the emergency was real, describing the experience as “almost surreal.”
Bryan Castellarin, father of 15-year-old survivor Ashton, recounted the fear his son and others faced: “All of a sudden they heard gunshots going off.” Students remained hidden for two to three hours. “My son was trying to console them. He tried to stay as calm as he could, but he is pretty shaken up, and he is scared.”
Once the building was secured, police instructed students to exit with their hands raised and conducted checks before reuniting them with their families. British Columbia Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said the officers’ swift response — arriving within two minutes — helped prevent further casualties.
Tumbler Ridge, established in the early 1980s as a coal mining community, has been deeply traumatized by the tragedy. Mayor Darryl Krakowka underscored how close the town is. “I will know every victim. I’ve been here 19 years, and we’re a small community,” he told CBC.
“I don’t call them residents. I call them family.”
Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil on Feb. 13, filling the community center to mourn collectively.
Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered flags at federal buildings lowered to half-mast for seven days and cancelled Wednesday’s question period in Parliament. A visibly emotional Carney addressed lawmakers, saying, “Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you and Canada stands by you.”
Prime Minister Carney also cancelled his trip to the Munich Security Conference to stay in Canada. Minister Krieger announced that trauma-informed counselors were being deployed to assist residents.
Condolences arrived from across the globe. King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed their grief, describing the tragedy as “a senseless act of brutal violence.” Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Canadians to support the affected families. Gov. General Mary Simon offered her own message of comfort, stating, “In this unimaginable moment of tragedy, the whole of Canada has Tumbler Ridge in its thoughts.”
Hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, whose Team Canada trained nearby during the 2010 Olympics, shared her condolences, calling Tumbler Ridge “a beautiful quaint town” that would “always be forever special” to her. The Toronto Blue Jays also released a statement sending sympathies to the community.
As of early March, Tumbler Ridge has begun the slow process of rebuilding. Temporary classrooms opened on Feb. 24 to staff and students, with School District 59 asking families to return at their own pace. Counselling services have been relocated to the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre. B.C.’s chief coroner has announced a formal inquest into the shooting will go ahead. The motive for the attack remains unknown.