The gunman reportedly had a history of mental health issues and an expired firearms license

A Canadian school shooting suspect who killed eight people and injured dozens did not have a specific target and was “hunting” for victims, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The 18-year-old transgender person, identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, carried out the attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia on Tuesday, after killing her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at the family home. 

The suspect, a former student who dropped out about four years earlier, later killed herself after shooting five children and a teacher. 27 people were injured, including two who were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening wounds, officials said.

“There was no specific targeting of any individuals. This suspect was, for lack of a better term, hunting,” RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald told reporters. “They were prepared and engaging anybody and everybody they could come into contact with.”

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Police seized two firearms from the school, a long gun and a modified handgun, as well as a shotgun recovered at the residence. A “number of other firearms” were also seized, according to McDonald.

Van Rootselaar, who police said “had a documented history of mental health concerns,” had held a firearms license that expired in 2024. McDonald confirmed that “on different occasions the suspect was apprehended for assessment and follow-up.”

Police added that a couple of years ago, firearms were seized from Van Rootselaar’s residence but were later returned to the lawful owner following a successful court petition. McDonald said investigators determined the main firearm believed to have been used in the school attack was not seized by the RCMP and that its origin remains unknown.

The suspect’s mother, Jennifer Strang, previously posted on social media about Van Rootselaar’s interest in firearms. In one post in 2024, she shared an image showing rifles stored in a hunting case with the caption: “it’s time to take them out for some target practice.”

Brian Landry, an RCMP-certified firearms instructor familiar with the community, said the system failed, arguing that a person with serious mental health issues should not have access to firearms.