Eight Dead, Dozens Injured in Rampage by 18-Year-Old in British Columbia

British Columbia. Eight people have died and dozens have been injured after an 18-year-old woman opened indiscriminate fire in British Columbia, Canada. 

Police stated that 18-year-old Jesse Van Routslaar ultimately shot herself after attacking her family members and a local school. Although the exact motive for the incident has not yet been determined, the attack has shocked the normally peaceful community of Tumbler Ridge. 

According to police, Jesse first murdered her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at her home before proceeding to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. At the school, a female teacher and five students aged between 12 and 13 years lost their lives from her gunfire. 

More than 25 people were injured in the attack, some of whom are in critical condition and are being treated in the hospital. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald informed that although Jesse was biologically male, she had been identifying as a woman for the past six years. 

Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun from the scene. Investigations revealed that Jesse previously held a valid firearms license, but it had since expired. 

She had dropped out of the same school four years ago, and it was found that police had visited her home multiple times in previous years due to mental health concerns. British Columbia Premier David Eby stated that an investigation into Jesse's mental state and past treatment has been initiated in coordination with the health system. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident an 'unimaginable cruelty' and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.