TUMBLER RIDGE, British Columbia — In a powerful display of national unity, Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to this reeling Rocky Mountain community on Friday to lead a vigil for the eight victims gunned down in one of the deadliest massacres in Canadian history. Accompanied by leaders from all major federal parties, the Prime Minister stood with a town in mourning as police released harrowing new details about the 18-year-old shooter’s final hours and digital footprint .
“Canadians are with you, we will always be with you,” Carney told a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the town hall, his voice heavy with emotion. The Prime Minister cancelled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference to be in Tumbler Ridge, where he, Governor General Mary Simon, and opposition leaders met privately with victims’ families and first responders before laying flowers at a growing memorial near the secondary school .
In a rare moment of political solidarity, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stood beside his rivals, telling the crowd: “We all lead political parties. But today? There are no Conservatives. There are no Liberals, New Democrats, Greens or Bloc Québécois” .
A Community Shattered
The remote town of approximately 2,400 residents is grappling with an unthinkable tragedy. On Tuesday, authorities say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother, 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs (also known as Jennifer Strang), and her 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, at their home before heading to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School .
At the school, the shooter unleashed further violence, claiming the lives of five students and a teacher. The young victims have been identified as 12-year-olds Kylie Smith, Abel Mwansa, Zoey Benoit, and Ticaria Lampert, as well as 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield. They were killed alongside their teacher, 39-year-old Shannda Aviugana-Durand .
The grief is visceral. Ticaria Lampert was just two months shy of her 13th birthday. Her mother, Sarah Lampert, bravely addressed the media earlier in the week, describing her daughter as a “blazing light in the darkness” . Zoey Benoit’s family remembered her as “resilient, vibrant, smart, caring and the strongest little girl you could meet” .
New Details: The Shooter’s Motive and Disturbing Online Activity
As the community mourns, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has painted a chilling portrait of the shooter’s actions and mindset. In an update on Friday, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald offered a grim assessment of the attack, stating the suspect was not targeting specific individuals but was effectively “hunting.”
“This suspect was, for a lack of a better term, hunting,” McDonald told reporters. “They were prepared and engaging anybody and everybody they could come in contact with” .
Investigators have since revealed that Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school who dropped out four years ago, had a long history of mental health struggles and prior contact with police. Authorities had attended the residence on multiple occasions, and firearms were previously seized from the home under the Criminal Code, though they were later returned after a successful petition by the lawful owner .
Perhaps most disturbingly, new information has emerged regarding the suspect’s digital life. According to reports, Van Rootselaar created a violent video game on the popular online platform Roblox—a “mall shooting simulator” where players could pick up weapons and fire at others. The game was visited multiple times before being removed by Roblox the day after the attack . Archived videos from the suspect’s YouTube channel also showed Van Rootselaar handling firearms, including a Desert Eagle, a shotgun, and a semi-automatic carbine .
The RCMP confirmed that the shooter used four firearms in the attack—two recovered from the home and two from the school. While Van Rootselaar’s own firearms license expired in 2024, her mother, Jennifer Jacobs, held a valid license, though no firearms were registered under it. Investigators are still working to determine how the suspect obtained the weapons, particularly the primary firearm used at the school, which they believe caused the most significant damage .
The shooter’s estranged father, Justin Van Rootselaar, issued a statement expressing sorrow for a “senseless and unforgivable act of violence.” He added, “As the biological father of the individual responsible, I carry a sorrow that is difficult to put into words” .
A Long Road to Healing
For the people of Tumbler Ridge, the influx of media and political figures has been overwhelming, with many residents declining to speak publicly as they navigate their shock. However, the presence of national leaders offered a small measure of comfort.
Colaina Hall, who drove two hours from Fort St. John to attend the vigil, captured the sentiment of the region. “In our little northern communities, we’re pretty tight-knit, we take care of one another,” she said. “It is just devastating” .
As the RCMP continues its investigation at the still-closed school, Prime Minister Carney’s message of resilience echoed through the snowy mountain town. “Tumbler Ridge,” he said, “represents the very best of Canada: resilient, compassionate and strong” .