Neighbors View Tumbler Ridge Shooter as Victim of Failed Mental Health System
In the aftermath of Tuesday's devastating mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, some residents of this northeastern British Columbia community are expressing unexpected sympathy for the perpetrator, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed five students, a teacher, his mother, and his stepbrother before taking his own life.
A Neighbor's Perspective
Thirteen-year-old Mya LaRocque, who lived just three doors away from Van Rootselaar on Fellers Avenue, was in her art class when the shooting began. She described hiding in a closet with classmates as they heard "big bangs" echoing through the school.
"It was upsetting, scary, shocking," Mya recounted tearfully while standing with her grandparents and legal guardians, David and Linda LaRocque. "I knew all of them from school or sports. They didn't deserve that. They were so young."
Despite the terror she experienced, Mya's grandparents have found the capacity to view Van Rootselaar through a lens of compassion rather than condemnation.
Mental Health System Failures
Linda LaRocque expressed a sentiment shared by several community members: "You can't blame people for mental health. You can feel very bad about what they did. But they didn't get up in the morning thinking, with a sane mind, that they were going to do this. It's very, very sad."
The LaRocques emphasized that Van Rootselaar's family needs community support as much as the families who lost children in the tragedy. They worry particularly about the three other children who lived in the Strang/Van Rootselaar home.
"They are going to need the love and support of this community, just as much as the families who lost their children," Linda said.
A Community in Mourning
The shooting has left the coal-mining and outdoor-adventure town of 2,400 residents reeling. Driving through Tumbler Ridge, reporters observed visible grief among residents, including one woman who doubled over weeping as an ambulance passed.
At makeshift memorials downtown, residents laying flowers and stuffed animals have largely refused to speak with media crews, often responding with disapproving looks or head shakes. The community remains in a state of profound shock just 48 hours after the violence unfolded.
Official Response
British Columbia Premier David Eby and Minister of Public Safety Nina Krieger visited memorial sites Thursday morning, quietly leaving bouquets in tribute to the victims. Their presence underscored the provincial government's recognition of the tragedy's magnitude.
Despite the pallor hanging over Tumbler Ridge, the LaRocques' perspective highlights a complex community response that extends beyond anger to include concern about systemic failures in mental health support.
The tragedy has sparked difficult conversations about how communities respond to violence perpetrated by individuals struggling with mental health issues, with some residents advocating for understanding alongside accountability.
