Police have identified Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old transgender woman who opened fire at Tumbler Ridge High School on Tuesday. in the Canadian province of British Columbia. She killed eight people and later herself; she also shot at the policemen. TASR writes according to the reports of the AFP and AP agencies.
“Upon arrival, there was active shooting, and as the police approached the school, shots were fired in their direction,” British Columbia Police Deputy Dwayne McDonald said. He clarified that instead of the original ten, the number of victims is eight and the shooter, including her mother and brother.
“I can say that Jesse was born a biological male who, to my knowledge, began transitioning to female and identifying as a female, both socially and publicly, about six years ago.” McDonald said, adding that Van Rootselaar had mental problems and had come into contact with the police in the past. The motive of her attack is unknown.
Tumbler Ridge is a small town in the province of British Columbia with a population of approximately 2,400. Such fatal incidents at schools are very rare in Canada, especially compared to the neighboring United States.
“The nation mourns with you. Canada stands with you,” declared Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in response. “We’ll get through it. We’ll learn from it. But now is the time for us to come together, as Canadians always do in such situations, in these terrible situations, to support each other, grieve together and grow together,” he added.
