By Admin 
A painful school shooting case that took place in British Columbia, Canada has shocked the entire country. In this incident of Canada School Shooting British Columbia, a total of 8 people died, including the attacker. 24 other people have been injured. This attack took place on Tuesday (10 February 2026) in a small town named Tumbler Ridge, where about 2,400 people live. According to police, it is one of Canada’s largest mass shootings in recent years.
According to CNN’s report, police have identified the attacker as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rutselaar. Police officer Dwayne McDonald said that the attacker was a transgender woman, who was male by birth. She had dropped out four years ago from the same high school where the attack took place. According to the police, the attacker earlier had a license to keep weapons, but it had expired. Weapons were seized from his house earlier also, but were later returned. Police also said that he had mental health problems. The police had to go to his house several times. He was also detained for investigation under the provincial mental health law.
How did the incident happen?
According to the police, the attacker first killed his 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother in their home. After this she reached the nearby high school and opened fire there. Six people were found dead inside the school. These included a 39-year-old female teacher and five students. Three 12-year-old girls and two boys (12 and 13 years old) were killed. One student was found near the stairs, while the rest were found in the library. Police said that the attacker had no family relation with those killed in the school. It is not yet clear whether anyone was specifically targeted or not. The attacker later committed suicide by shooting himself. A long gun and a modified pistol were recovered from the scene.
Police and administration response
The police reached the school within two minutes of the incident. When the officers arrived, shots were fired in their direction as well. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed deep sorrow over this incident. He said that the entire country stands with the people of Tumbler Ridge. Flags on government buildings will remain at half mast for 7 days. British Columbia Premier David Abe called it a tragedy and appealed to people to support each other.
gun laws in canada
Canada has strict gun control laws and school shooting incidents are very rare. After the murder of 13 people in Nova Scotia in 2020, the government banned several new weapons. After this latest incident, the discussion on gun control laws may intensify again. School district administration has closed the high school and elementary school for the entire week. This incident is considered to be one of the most tragic incidents in the history of Canada.