Canada School Shooting: Victims Identified, Including 6 Children & 2 Adults
- The six children and two adults killed in a mass shooting in rural British Columbia, Canada, have been identified by authorities.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the school where a “lockdown and secure and hold” had been activated, according to reports.
- The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, had earlier killed Jennifer Jacobs, 39, and her stepbrother Emmett Jacobs, 11, at a nearby residence.
The six children and two adults killed in a mass shooting in rural British Columbia, Canada, have been identified by authorities. The tragedy unfolded on February 10th, beginning at a home in Tumbler Ridge before extending to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the school where a “lockdown and secure and hold” had been activated, according to reports. Police have identified the students killed at the school as Abel Mwansa, 12, Ezekiel Schofield, 13, Kylie Smith, 12, Zoey Benoit, 12, and Ticaria Lampert, 12. Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39, a teacher at the school, was also among those killed.
Ezekiel Schofield, 13, was one of the students killed. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
Dozens more were injured in the attack. The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, had earlier killed Jennifer Jacobs, 39, and her stepbrother Emmett Jacobs, 11, at a nearby residence.
Releasing the names of the victims, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald described a time of “deep sorrow” for the community. “We will continue to support the families, respect their wishes, and walk with the community as it begins the long journey toward healing,” he said.
Zoey Benoit, 12, was also killed. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and opposition leaders are scheduled to attend a vigil in Tumbler Ridge on Friday, February 13th. The shooting is considered one of the worst in Canadian history. The deadliest prior incident occurred in Nova Scotia in April 2020, when a 51-year-old man killed 22 people before being fatally shot by police.
Authorities have stated that the suspect, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found deceased, and had a history of mental health contact with police. The suspect had dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years prior to the shooting. Police recovered two firearms at the school – a long gun and a modified handgun – but have not yet detailed their role in the attack.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. The RCMP confirmed that eight people died at the school and at the residence, in addition to the suspect.