The mass shooting that occurred on Tuesday in the town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, was committed by an 18-year-old transgender woman, Canadian police reported on Wednesday, according to LETA citing AFP.
The motive for the crime is currently unknown to authorities; however, the shooter, who later took her own life, had mental health issues, said Police Chief Dwayne MacDonald.
Eighteen-year-old transgender person Jesse van Rotselaar, born biologically male and having left high school four years ago, shot her mother and half-brother at her home on Tuesday, and then killed six more people at the school.
Upon arriving at the high school, police initially found six victims — a 39-year-old teacher, three 12-year-old female students, and two students aged 12 and 13.
The shooter, armed with a long-barreled rifle and a handgun, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
She was known to the police, who had previously visited her home multiple times in response to calls related to mental health issues.
MacDonald reported that the shooter had a firearms possession license that had expired. Previously, firearms had been confiscated from her residence but were later returned.
Following the tragedy, flags in Canada will be flown at half-mast for seven days. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney canceled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Incidents of school shootings in Canada are rare compared to neighboring the United States.
This tragedy has become one of the deadliest in Canada. In 2020, a mass shooting in Nova Scotia resulted in the deaths of 22 people, leading to a ban on many types of firearms.
Tumbler Ridge, with a population of 2,400, is located more than 1,100 kilometers north of British Columbia's largest city, Vancouver.
