Authorities are sharing more details on how the mass shooting unfolded in the small northern B.C. community of Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commanding officer of the B.C. RCMP, said local Mounties responded to a report of a shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School around 1 p.m., and arrived at the scene within two minutes to encounter “active gunfire” on the property.
“As officers approached the school, rounds were fired in their direction,” McDonald said at a news conference Wednesday.
“Officers entered the school to locate the threat. Within minutes, an individual confirmed to be the shooter was located deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Community residents were told to stay inside and lock their doors—and to avoid distracting themselves with their phones, or posting pictures of the location of law enforcement online—for hours as authorities worked to confirm the threat had ended.
The lone suspect found dead at the school has since been identified Jesse VanRootselaar, and 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge resident.
Few other details have been confirmed about the suspect, but McDonald said VanRootselaar was “born as a biological male” and “identified as a female.”
CTV News has also confirmed two of the victims were VanRootselaar’s mother Jennifer Strang and 11-year-old stepbrother Emmet Strang.
The other victims were a 39-year-old teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary and five students—three 12-year-old girls and two boys, ages 12 and 13.
Authorities also corrected information shared Tuesday that 10 people, including the suspect, died during the incident. The death toll stands at nine, McDonald said.
“Initially, it was believed that one of the victims, a female with significant injuries, who was transported from the scene by our members and then transitioned to paramedics, had succumbed to her injuries,” he said.
“Police have since confirmed that is not the case.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.