Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old transgender has been named as the suspect in a shooting that killed eight people and injured dozens more in British Columbia, Canada.
Police said Van Rootselaar was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot injury. The motive for the attack is not yet known.
Six people were killed, and at least 25 others were injured at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Two others—the suspect’s mother, 39, and stepbrother, 11—were found dead at a nearby home.
Authorities stated that Rootselaar was born a biological male but identified as a woman.
“I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female,” Dwayne McDonald, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) deputy commissioner, said.
The incident took place initially at a nearby residence, and then the suspect went to school, according to McDonald.
The victims at the school included a 39-year-old female educator, three female kids, all aged 12, and two male students, one 12 and the other 13.
Authorities do not believe any other suspects were involved in the shootings.
Police said they had visited the suspect’s family home several times over the last few years, with some calls relating to mental health issues.
Police were aware of Van Rootselaar, and “we’ve begun the process of reaching out to” the public health care system to “understand what interactions may have taken place,” British Columbia Premier David Eby said at a press conference outside the Tumbler Ridge town hall late Wednesday evening.
According to McDonald, the suspect formerly held a valid gun license that had since expired.
Police claimed Van Rootselaar dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years ago.
On Tuesday, at approximately 13:30 local time (20:30 GMT), police received a report of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Officers arrived on the site within two minutes after receiving the call, heard active gunfire, and entered the school, McDonald stated.
Within minutes, they found the shooter, who had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities.
Authorities discovered two guns at the scene: a long rifle and a modified handgun. However, McDonald said it is unclear what role the firearms played in the shooting.
Police then started looking for victims throughout the school. Two casualties were transported to the hospital by air ambulance and remain there.
Tumbler Ridge has approximately 2,400 residents, and its secondary school serves 160 students in grades 7-12.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the children and teachers witnessed “unheard of cruelty” during the massacre, adding that several victims are still in the hospital “fighting for their lives.”
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka told reporters late Wednesday that the tight-knit town was “one big family.”
“Lend your ear when someone needs your ear,” he said, growing emotional at times. “Lend your shoulder when someone needs your shoulder. Give somebody a hug.”
