RCMP Files Unsealed Reveal Timeline and Evidence in Tumbler Ridge School Shooting
Unsealed RCMP documents expose the agency’s minute-by-minute response and evidence collection after the February 2026 shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where six people were found dead and the 18-year-old shooter died by self-inflicted wounds.
Documents unsealed by media outlets provide a rare glimpse into the RCMP’s handling of the February 2026 mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northern British Columbia. The files show that officers responded to reports of an erratic vehicle and subsequent gunfire, eventually entering the building to find six deceased victims and the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who had died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Search warrants describe the collection of blood, hair, fingerprints, firearms, ammunition, and several electronic devices, including a Sony Handycam, an iPhone, and laptops, from the shooter’s residence. A production order notes confusion over possible aliases and a second shooter, later clarified as the same individual. A sealing order argues that releasing the information could compromise the coroner’s inquest, ongoing criminal investigation, and potentially inspire copycat attacks.
Why it matters
The disclosures illuminate investigative steps in one of Canada’s deadliest school shootings, shaping public understanding and future inquiries.
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