On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Canadian authorities stated that eight people were killed and 25 wounded in one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, located in British Columbia, Canada.
Police identified the individual, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, as the suspect. Van Rootselaar “was not currently attending school,” said Deputy Comissioner Dwayne McDonald on the following Wednesday. The suspected shooter was found dead at the scene from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
The currently identified victims of the shooting include three 12-year old female students and two male students, ages 12 and 13. Van Rootselaar’s stepmother and step-brother were also found dead at a nearby home.
Authorities noted that police visited Van Rootselaar’s residence on multiple occasions, including as early as last spring over concerns regarding mental health and self harm.
No information has been released from investigators regarding the motive behind the attack.
As authorities work to determine what prompted the shooting, some GCSU students say gun violence in Canada is not something they have frequently encountered or discussed.
“I feel like I haven’t heard as much gun violence in the news from Canada,” said Sean Lynch, a senior management and information systems major. “I’m not sure what their gun laws are, but it’s sad that the same tragedies that are happening here in the U.S. are happening in Canada.”
Aside from gun regulation, conversations surrounding student mental health have stemmed from the attack. Caleb Mitchem, a senior finance major, believes there is a correlation between mind wellness and student-identifed shooters.
“I feel like these stories keep showing up where a teenager has been found as the one responsible for school shootings,” Mitchem said. “I’m not sure if it’s a societal issue with mental health around teenagers, but something has to be done. We cannot go on living in a world where school shootings are normal.”
The Canadian government has made continuous strides in the past decade to ensure gun safety in its nation. In March of 2025, Canada banned over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms. Many of these firearms have been illegal to sell and own.
Gun ownership in Canada is also federally regulated, a process that makes obtaining a firearm more tedious than in the states. Firearm owners are required to acquire a Possession and Acquistion Liscence following extensive background checks. Additionally, under Canada’s Firearm Act, all guns must be kept locked away and unloaded.
Understanding how gun laws differ across countries requires examining both policy and political culture. Claire Sanders, a political science professor at GCSU, examined the severity of the Tumbler shooting.
“Something of this magnitude coming from a country like Canada, where gun violence isn’t common, is shocking news,” Sanders said. “The Canadian government differs from the U.S. government in how fast its parliamentary system passes any policy change.”
Despite concerns surrounding gun violence nationally and internationally, some students say they feel a strong sense of security between the GCSU and Milledgeville police departments.
“I feel very safe on campus,” said Jake McFarland, a senior management major. “Although we are seeing these school shootings, I feel like Milledgeville is a safe city. Between Public Safety and the Milledgeville Police Department, I feel safe here.”
Students wanting to stay informed on national policy can visit www.vpc.org. For students wanting to stay updated on Public Safety, visit www.gcsu.edu/publicsafety.
