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Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 09:09 IST
Rootselaar was a transgender woman who was born biologically as a male and dropped out of the targeted high school four years ago.
Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old trans woman, who slaughtered 8 people.
Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender high school dropout, who killed his mother and stepbrother before taking the lives of six more people at a school in Canada, has been seen for the first time in resurfaced family photos. One chilling image shows the smiling teenager holding a rifle.
The 18-year-old ex-student with a history of mental health issues went on a gun-wielding rampage on Tuesday at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge. Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school, then died by suicide.
According to the photos that surfaced, she was spotted straight-faced in several pictures. The pictures were posted by his grandmother on Facebook for his 14th birthday.
“Happy 14th birthday to our grandson Jesse !! Love you always !! XOXO," the post from August 2021 read.
In the picture surfacing online, Rootselaar can be seen holding a rifle and bearing a wide grin while sitting on the couch.
Who Is Jesse Van Rootselaar?
Rootselaar was a transgender woman who was born biologically as a male and dropped out of the targeted high school four years ago.
According to Police Commander Dwayne McDonald, the shooter had held a firearms licence, which had lapsed, and the weapons had previously been confiscated from her residence. However, they were subsequently returned.
Rootselaar had a history of mental health illness, and therefore, the police had visited her home more than once to check on her.
“Police had attended that (family) residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect," McDonald said.
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First Published:
February 12, 2026, 09:09 IST
News world Trans Canadian School Shooter, Who Shot Mother At Home, Seen Holding Rifle In Photo Surfacing Online
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