A nationwide manhunt ended Friday with the arrest of Jacob Van Rootselaar, the older brother of the perpetrator behind the devastating Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia shooting. He was taken into custody in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, following the issuance of a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
The warrant stemmed from a 2024 incident in Fort McMurray, Alberta, where Van Rootselaar, 22, is accused of attempted murder involving the use of an edged weapon. Authorities initially charged and released him, granting him permission to reside in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
That approved residency was later changed to Tumbler Ridge, the very community shattered by the February 10th mass shooting. A routine check in February revealed Van Rootselaar was no longer at his designated address, prompting the urgent, nationwide warrant.
The tragedy in Tumbler Ridge claimed nine lives, including six young students: Abel Mwansa, Ezekiel Schofield, Kylie Smith, Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert, and Shannda Aviugana-Durand. The shooter, Jesse Van Roostelaar, his mother Jennifer Jacobs, and his younger brother Emmett Jacobs also perished.
Twenty-five more individuals sustained injuries in the horrific attack, solidifying Tumbler Ridge’s place as the site of one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings. The community continues to grapple with unimaginable loss and the long road to recovery.
Adding another layer of complexity to the unfolding tragedy, questions are now being raised about a potential missed opportunity to prevent the massacre. British Columbia’s Premier David Eby has indicated that OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, may have had advance warning of the shooter’s intentions.
Internal safeguards within the ChatGPT chatbot reportedly flagged concerning interactions with Jesse Van Roostelaar at least seven months prior to the shooting. OpenAI has been summoned to Ottawa to explain why this information wasn’t immediately relayed to law enforcement.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on understanding the full scope of the events leading up to the shooting and exploring whether preventative measures could have been taken. The pain and grief felt by the community of Tumbler Ridge are immeasurable, and the search for answers continues.
