Police tape marks off Tumbler Ridge Secondary School where a mass shooting took place in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 11, 2026. (Credit: Eagle Vision Agency / AFP via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Police identified the suspect in a school shooting in Canada that killed eight people in a remote part of British Columbia.
The suspect was identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury.
Suspect identified in Canada school shooting
What we know:
The suspect had a history of police visits to her home to check on her mental health, authorities said Wednesday.
According to FOX News Digital, authorities said Van Rootselaar had attended the school before dropping out roughly four years ago. Van Rootselaar, who was born male but identified as female, began transitioning six years ago.
What we don't know:
The motive in the shooting was unclear.
8 people killed in Canada school shooting
The backstory:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said the suspect first killed her mother and stepbrother at the family home before attacking the nearby school.
Police said the victims at the school included a 39-year-old teacher and five students, ages 12 to 13.
More than 25 people were wounded.
Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun. McDonald said officers arrived at the school two minutes after the initial call. When they arrived, shots were fired in their direction.
"Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you," an emotional Prime Minister Mark Carney said as he arrived in Parliament.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. FOX News, The Associated Press contributed.