An 18-year-old has been named as the suspect in a shooting that killed eight people and injured dozens more in British Columbia, Canada.
Police said, Jesse Van Rootselaar was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot injury. The motive for the attack is not yet known.
Six people were killed and at least 25 others were injured at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Two others – the suspect’s mother, 39, and step-brother, 11 – were found dead at a nearby home.
Hundreds of mourners gathered to exchange comfort and moments of silence in Tumbler Ridge’s main square and outside the British Columbia legislature in Victoria on Wednesday night.
According to Dwayne McDonald, deputy commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the gunman initially shot at a nearby house before moving on to the school.
Three 12-year-old female kids, two 12- and 13-year-old male students, and a 39-year-old female teacher were the victims at the school.
Other suspects in the shootings are not thought to be involved, according to authorities.
Over the course of several years, police reported that they had made numerous visits to the suspect’s family home, some of which were connected to mental health issues.
According to authorities, Van Rootselaar identified as a woman even though he was born a biological male.
McDonald said, the suspect’s previous gun license had expired.
Police said Van Rootselaar had dropped out of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School four years ago.