Father of Tumbler Ridge school shooter issues statement: ‘I carry a sorrow’

The father of the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., shooter has issued a statement following the deadly mass shooting that rocked the small community this week.

“There are moments when words perceive far too small for the sorrow we are carrying together. What has happened has left an ache in the heart of our town that will not soon fade. In a place where we know each other by name, where we pass one another in the grocery store and gather at the same community events, this loss feels deeply personal to us all,” Justin VanRootselaar said.

“To the families who have lost loved ones, and to every person who has been affected by this senseless and unforgivable act of violence, I offer my most heartfelt condolences. Begin to imagine the depth of your grief. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I share in the profound sadness that has settled over our community.”

“As the biological father of the individual responsible, I carry a sorrow that is difficult to place into words. I was estranged from Jesse Strang and was not part of his life. His mother declined my involvement from the beginning, and I was not given the opportunity to be a part of raising him. Jesse did not employ the VanRootselaar family name at any point in his life. While that distance is the reality of our relationship, it does not lessen the heartbreak I feel for the pain that has been caused to innocent people and to the town we call home.”

“What we have is a time for compassion, for holding one another close, and for supporting the families who are grieving such unimaginable loss.

“As we respect your grief, we respectfully question that you also respect ours. There will be no further statements.”

This statement comes as more information is coming to light about the 18-year-old shooter.

BC RCMP confirmed that multiple police visits had been made to the 18-year-old Jesse VanRootselaar’s home due to concerns of mental health and self-harm.

Dept. Comm. Dwayne McDonald, BC RCMP commanding officer, said the teen also had some interactions with police. “Police have attended that residence in the past, approximately a couple of years ago, where firearms were seized under the criminal code,” he said.

“I can say that at a later point in time, the lawful owner of those firearms petitioned for those firearms to be returned and they were.”

It’s not known who owned the guns, why they were seized and why they were returned.

Criminal lawyer Jerry Steele said that Canada’s new Red Flag law, passed in 2023, allows anyone, not just police, to apply to a judge for a temporary 30-day prohibition order to remove firearms from someone who poses a risk.

“The idea that someone else in a house could be the problem rather than the firearms owner themselves, that concern is relatively new and I haven’t seen that tested,” Steele said.

Van Rootselaar, who was assigned male at birth but had started transitioning to a female, dropped out of school roughly four years ago.

The teen had a gun license, which expired in 2024. A long gun and a modified handgun were found at the crime scene in Tumbler Ridge following the shooting on Feb. 10.

It is unknown if these were the guns that were seized from the family home and returned.

-with files from Rumina Daya

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the shooter’s father say in his statement?

Justin VanRootselaar expressed his sorrow and condolences to the victims and their families, stating that he was estranged from his son, Jesse Strang, and had not been involved in his life.

Had police interacted with the shooter before the incident?

Yes, BC RCMP confirmed that police had visited Jesse VanRootselaar’s home previously due to concerns about his mental health and self-harm. Firearms were also seized from the residence approximately two years prior to the shooting.

What is Canada’s “Red Flag” law?

Canada’s Red Flag law, passed in 2023, allows anyone to apply to a judge for a temporary 30-day prohibition order to remove firearms from someone who poses a risk.