Details Emerge About Tumbler Ridge Mass Shooter's Digital Footprint
In the aftermath of one of Canada's deadliest mass shootings, authorities have uncovered disturbing details about the online presence of 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, identified as the perpetrator of Tuesday's attack in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
Digital Profile Reveals Troubling Content
The shooter's now-deleted YouTube account featured a profile image depicting a female anime character alongside a rifle, set against a pink-and-white-striped background. The channel's description contained the cryptic message: "None of this makes sense."
In a YouTube post from six months prior to the attack, Van Rootselaar wrote: "I've been pretty um, aimless." This digital footprint provides investigators with potential insights into the shooter's mindset leading up to the tragic events.
Deadly Attack Claims Eight Lives
Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that Van Rootselaar was responsible for the mass shooting that claimed eight lives in the rural northeastern B.C. community. The attack ranks among the deadliest shootings in Canadian history.
According to police investigators, the shooter first killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home located at 112 Fellers Avenue. The shooter then traveled to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she launched a second attack.
The school victims included a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old female students, and two male students aged 12 and 13. Two additional victims required emergency airlift to hospital for critical care.
History of Police Interventions
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald revealed that police had been called to the shooter's residence on multiple occasions over several years. "Police had attended that residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect," McDonald stated during a media briefing.
During one of these visits, authorities seized firearms from the residence. These weapons were eventually returned to their lawful owner following a formal petition process. Police apprehended Van Rootselaar for assessment under British Columbia's Mental Health Act on more than one occasion.
The most recent police intervention occurred in the spring, responding to concerns about the suspect's mental health and potential for self-harm. Van Rootselaar had dropped out of school four years prior to the attack and was not related to any of the school victims.
Additional Digital Evidence Uncovered
Investigators discovered a TikTok account using the same profile image as the YouTube channel, operating under the username "jessestrangg." This account reposted multiple videos featuring 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who killed six students during a 2023 shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee.
The shooter's mother, Jennifer Strang, had promoted her child's YouTube channel in a Facebook post four years earlier, noting that Van Rootselaar "posts about hunting, self-reliance, guns." In August 2020, Strang was tagged in a birthday post commemorating Jesse's 13th birthday celebration, which included a photograph of the teenager holding two cakes.
Ongoing Investigation and Community Impact
The motive for the Tumbler Ridge shooting remains under active investigation by authorities. By Wednesday afternoon, the shooter's YouTube profile had been removed for violating the platform's community guidelines.
Police confirmed that Van Rootselaar, who was assigned male at birth, began transitioning six years ago. The community of Tumbler Ridge continues to grapple with shock and grief following the unprecedented violence that has left permanent scars on this rural British Columbia town.
As investigators piece together the timeline of events and examine digital evidence, questions remain about how warning signs might have been addressed more effectively to prevent this tragedy.
