FEBRUARY 12, 2026 — Canada is in shock after police identified the suspect behind a brutal school massacre in British Columbia: 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a troubled teen with a history of police visits over mental health concerns. Her rampage left eight people dead — including her own mother and stepbrother — and more than 25 wounded in the small mountain town of Tumbler Ridge.

Authorities say Van Rootselaar first killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home before storming the local secondary school. Armed with a long gun and a modified handgun, she opened fire inside the building, killing a 39-year-old teacher and five students aged 12 to 13. Police arrived within minutes, but shots were fired in their direction. Van Rootselaar was later found dead from a self-inflicted wound.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald confirmed, “Police had attended that residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with concerns of mental health with respect to our suspect.” 

The motive remains unclear, but investigators believe she acted alone.

The attack is Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left nine more dead. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional, told Parliament, “Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you.” 

Flags across the country will fly at half-staff for seven days.

For the tight-knit community of 2,700 residents, the pain is unbearable. 

Mayor Darryl Krakowka said, “I broke down. I have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every one of the victims.” 

Families gathered at a recreation center, waiting for word on loved ones. 

Reverend George Rowe, who once taught at the high school, described the scene, saying, “It was not a pretty sight. Families are still waiting to hear if it’s their child that’s deceased.”

School shootings are rare in Canada, which enforces strict gun-control laws. Yet this tragedy has reignited debate over whether laws alone can prevent such horrors. After past shootings, Canada broadened bans on assault-style weapons. But as this case shows, access to firearms is only part of the story — mental health intervention is just as critical.

For Filipinos following the story, the lesson hits close to home. We may not see school shootings at the same scale, but we do see violence rooted in untreated mental health issues, family breakdowns, and systemic neglect. How many times have we heard of troubled individuals in our own barangays, only for their stories to end in tragedy because help came too late?

This massacre is not just Canada’s tragedy — it’s a global wake-up call. Communities everywhere must confront the uncomfortable truth: ignoring mental health red flags can cost lives. Whether in Tumbler Ridge or Tondo, the consequences are devastating.

The grief in Canada is raw, the questions haunting. And for us here in the Philippines, it’s a reminder to look closer at our own cracks before they widen into catastrophe.

How many warning signs will we keep brushing aside until it’s too late?

(Image: Yahoo News UK)