VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Court documents show early uncertainty over number of Tumbler Ridge shooters
Newly released, heavily redacted court records provide further detail on the February Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, including an early police concern that there might have been more than one shooter.
Hundreds of heavily redacted court documents released after a media consortium’s application provide further detail about the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, including early uncertainty over whether there was more than one shooter.
Eight people were killed — six children and two adults — and suspect Jesse Van Rootselaar died from a self-inflicted wound. The records say police ultimately reviewed video from Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and confirmed that only one person entered the building and that there was one shooter.
Before the school call, RCMP received a report of a black SUV driving erratically from the suspect’s family home. Records say two people, publicly identified as Van Rootselaar’s mother and brother, Jennifer and Emmett Jacobs, were found dead there. The documents say Van Rootselaar then drove to the school, where much of the shooting occurred in the library.
The records describe a large scene, about 70 statements from teachers, students, first responders and community members, and a search of the suspect’s home the following day. Police seized a laptop, cameras and a cellphone; the documents also refer to 12 redacted police files connected to Van Rootselaar.
Investigators were notified by the FBI on Feb. 15 that OpenAI had identified two ChatGPT accounts believed to have been used by Van Rootselaar. Police sought subscriber records, believing they could provide evidence. OpenAI later said it had banned an account in June 2025 but did not identify credible and imminent planning that met its threshold for a law-enforcement referral; it contacted police after the shooting.
A coroner’s inquest was announced March 3, with no date set. Police warned that premature disclosure could affect the ongoing investigation, the inquest and a potential public inquiry. Mental-health and crisis supports include 310-Mental Health Support at 310-6789, Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or by texting CONNECT to 686868, and the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988.