The suspect in Canada’s Tumbler Ridge shooting has posted about guns and hunting on his YouTube channel and appears to have written online about his struggles with mental health, according to social media posts.
Canadian police have named 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootseller as the gunman who killed his mother and 11-year-old stepbrother before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Junior High School, killing five students and a teacher, then shooting himself. Police are still investigating, but a motive has not been determined.
Police said Van Rootseller is transgender and transitioned about six years ago. She lives in a remote town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and had dropped out of school about four years ago.
According to social media posts seen by CNN, Van Roetzelar owned a gun and was an avid hunter.
Jennifer Strang, the suspected shooter’s mother, posted a photo on Facebook in 2024 of a cabinet containing what appeared to be six hunting rifles with the caption, “I think it’s time to take them out for target practice.”
According to Strang’s 2021 Facebook post, Van Luetzeler talked about hunting and guns on his YouTube channel.
Ms. Strang posted a link to what she described as Ms. Van Rootseller’s YouTube channel, which contained “posts about things that (she) likes, including hunting, independence, and guns.” Ms. Strang encouraged her friends to check it out and subscribe.
That YouTube channel had been deleted as of Thursday. An archive search revealed several videos posted with firearm-related titles.
A Reddit user with the same username as the YouTube channel and whose activity matches the age of the channel and the suspected shooter posted a video of himself using a gun at a shooting range in 2023.
Roblox, a popular game creation platform that has come under intense scrutiny over reports of violence and child abuse on the platform, announced it had deleted an account belonging to Van Luetzeler after it was reported that he had created a game that simulated a shooting at a shopping mall. Roblox said there were only seven visits to the game.
A Roblox spokesperson told CNN: “We have removed all user accounts involved in this horrific incident and all content related to the suspect. We are committed to fully supporting law enforcement in their investigation.”
Canada’s gun laws are much stricter than in the United States, but it is legal to own certain types of guns with a valid license. Children between the ages of 12 and 17 can use firearms for approved purposes, such as hunting and target practice, with a juvenile license.
Police recovered two firearms at the scene Tuesday, a long gun and a modified handgun, but neither was registered to Van Rootseller, whose license expires in 2024.
Hunting is a common pastime in Tumbler Ridge, Pastor Gerald Krause of the town’s New Life Assembly Church told CNN.
This small town is best known for its nature and is surrounded by wildlife such as deer, elk, moose, wolves, grizzly and black bears.
Kraus said the community is used to guns, but the gun deaths were “a whole new thing.” “Everyone was hunting and no one did anything stupid,” he said, calling them “very responsible people who live here.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Chief Dwayne MacDonald said Wednesday that police seized firearms from Van Rootseller’s residence several years ago, but returned them after the owner’s petition. Police have not identified the owner of the firearm.
Macdonald said police had also visited Van Rootseller multiple times in recent years for mental health issues, and in some cases “suspects were arrested for evaluation and follow-up.”
He said the most recent visit was last spring and was for “concerns about mental health and self-harm.”
A Reddit account that matches the username of Van Rootselaar’s YouTube channel has several posts openly discussing his struggles with mental health issues, with the author saying he sought psychiatric help in 2023. The Reddit post also detailed drug use.
When asked if the town has adequate support for mental health services, Mayor Darryl Krakowka said that’s something the community lacks.
This post has been updated with additional information.
