The identities of the eight victims who tragically lost their lives in the second most deadly school shooting in Canadian history have been revealed. The incident, which unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, left the community in shock.

On that fateful Tuesday afternoon, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar opened fire in the school library. Before the rampage at the school, Van Rootselaar had already committed two other murders, taking the lives of his mother, Jennifer, and his 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett, at their home, according to reports by CTV News. He ended the day by turning the gun on himself.

Among the victims at the school were teacher Shannda Aviugana-Durand, aged 39, and students Kylie Smith, Abel Mwansa Jr., Ticaria Lampert, Zoey Benoit, all aged 12, and 13-year-old Ezekial Schofield. The tragedy has left families and the wider community grappling with the loss.

At a press briefing, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that one of the victims was found in a stairwell, while the others were discovered within the library.

In addition to those who lost their lives, numerous others were injured. Among the 25 wounded were Maya Gebala and Paige Hoekstra, both aged 12, who are currently receiving treatment at Vancouver Children’s Hospital.

Maya Gebala and Paige Hoekstra, both 12, were among 25 people wounded in the massacre and are in Vancouver Children’s Hospital.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Van Rootselaar began identifying as female six years ago, at age 12, and there were multiple call-outs to the family home for mental health-related concerns. 

An emergency alert described the shooter as a ‘female in a dress with brown hair.’

Police said the shooter’s legal surname was Van Rootselaar, although she used her mother’s last name locally and on social media.

RCMP said Van Rootselaar dropped out of school aged 14.

Van Rootselaar’s motive has not been identified, as the RCMP revealed firearms were confiscated from the man’s home – but then returned. 

Victims who were killed 

Kylie Smith, 12

Kylie Smith, 12, was killed in the rampage. 

Her father, Lance Younge, described her as the ‘light of their family’ while speaking to CTV.

‘She was just a beautiful soul. She loves art and anime. She wanted to go to school in Toronto and we just love her so much,’ he said. ‘She never hurt a soul.’ 

An online fundraiser described Kylie as a ‘beautiful, kind, innocent soul’.

Younge said he wants the public to focus on the victims – and not the shooter.

‘Let’s stop giving this psychopath the recognition, because these kids were lost before they got to become teenagers,’ Lance Younge pleaded with CTV. ‘Let’s put these pictures up, remember them and not this murderer.’

The distraught father told CTV that he only heard from Kylie’s 15-year-old brother, Ethan, when Van Rootselaar started shooting at the school on Tuesday afternoon.

Ethan was hiding in a utility closet about 3pm and wanted to tell his family that he loved them. He did not know where his sister was.

The last their father saw her, Young said, was when Kylie and Ethan were dropped off at school that morning. 

‘I soaked in that moment watching them walk in the door together, for whatever reason,’ he recounted. ‘I didn’t know it would be the last time.’

Kylie’s best friend, Ticaria Lambert, 12, also died during the shooting.

Abel Mwansa Jr

Abel Mwansa Jr, 12, the son of Zambian immigrants, was among the students killed in the shooting. 

His family said he was looking forward to turning 13 next month and started seventh grade at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in September.

In a series of Facebook posts, his father, Mwansa Sr, described Abel as a bright, smiling boy who loved school and science experiments, and dreamed of becoming a leader, engineer or scientist.

His father was supposed to pick him up from a youth group meeting at their church after school that day ‘not knowing that my son will be shot like a stray dog murdered in cold blood’.

Abel Jr’s father shared memories of teaching him to work hard, respect elders and stay focused on his studies.

‘Seeing your child murdered at this age is heart breaking. I was broken when I saw you packed in that BLACK BAG lifeless and zipped up like those we see in movies was devastating,’ his father wrote.

He is survived by his parents, his younger sister Shakainah, and his little brother Jasail. 

A GoFundMe has been made by friends of the Mwansa family to help them cover funeral costs.

Ezekiel Schofield, 13

Ezekiel Schofield, 13 was among the students killed in the attack.

His death was confirmed by his grandfather, Peter Schofield, who wrote in a Facebook post that the family was ‘absolutely broken’ by the loss and was travelling to Tumbler Ridge to support one another. 

He described the outpouring of condolences as overwhelming and said their hearts were with every family affected. 

Ezekiel was an avid hockey player and played as a forward for the Tumbler Ridge Raptors hockey team.

The parents of one of Schofield’s teammates rented out ice time at their local rink on Thursday, inviting the community to come together and find comfort in the wake of the shooting. 

‘Everything feels so surreal. The tears just keep flowing,’ Schofield wrote.

‘So many young lives were ended so needlessly. Our hearts are broken not only for Ezekiel, but for every family affected by this tragedy.’

Zoey Benoit, 12

Zoey Benoit, 12, has been named another one of the victims. RCMP released her identity on Friday.

Her parents, Lori and Angad, released a statement through RCMP, describing her as ‘resilient, vibrant, smart, caring and the strongest little girl you could meet.’

‘She brought so much laughter and smiles in her presence,’ the statement read. ‘She loved spending time with her family where she could show her love. 

‘Our family is devastated by this loss, but we will cherish her memories with us so close to our hearts forever. She will forever be loved and never forgotten.’

She is survived by her siblings, Logan and Skye. 

A GoFundMe has been made to cover funeral costs.

Ticaria Lampert, 12

Ticaria ‘Tiki’ Lampert, 12, was named as another one of the victims by the RCMP Friday. She was just two months shy of her thirteenth birthday.

Her mother, Sarah, alongside her sister, Niveya, gave an emotional statement to the media on Thursday.

‘We called her Tiki, my Tica-roo. She’s always been a blazing light in the darkness, and if you didn’t manage to see her, you would definitely hear her,’ her mother said through tears.’

Ticaria died alongside her best friend Kylie Smith, Lambert said during the appearance. The mother said the two girls would continue to be ‘besties forever in heaven.’

The day before the shooting, a picture now shared by the Vancouver Sun was taken of Smith piggy-backing on Ticaria’s backs while at school.

Ticaria is survived by her single mother and seven siblings.

‘Every single one of us mattered in my family,’ her mother said at the press conference. ‘Our truth is that we have learned to become a functioning cell together. Every one of us mattered.’

Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39  

Authorities confirmed that the 39-year-old teacher killed in Tuesday’s shooting was Shannda Aviugana-Durand.

Following the announcement, the BC General Employees’ Union paid tribute to her in a Facebook post, writing that they were ‘grieving the profound loss of one of our union members whose life was taken in this terrible event.’

‘Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39, was a member of the BCGEU and worked at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School,’ the union said. ‘We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, coworkers, and all those whose lives she touched.’

Victims who were wounded 

Paige Hoekstra, 12

Paige Hoekstra was among those injured in the shooting, and was airlifted to a Vancouver hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. 

She has since undergone surgery, and is officially in recovery, her mother Leann Fletcher said in a Facebook post. her brother wrote in the description of the fundraiser.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by her brother, Nicholas, has raised nearly $45,000 as of Friday morning. 

He added that the family was ‘scared’ and taking things ‘one moment at a time’ as they dealt with the sudden crisis.

‘Watching someone you love go through something like this is something you can’t really prepare for,’ he said.

He said donations would help cover travel, time away from work and the medical care Paige will need.

Maya Gebala, 12

Maya Gebala, 12, was shot in the head and neck by Van Rootselaar and is clinging to life in critical condition.

Her relative, Krysta Hunt, told Global News that that Maya was struck by two bullets after trying to lock a library door to keep out Van Rootselaar.

‘[Maya] tried to lock the door of the library from the shooter to save the other kids, and then she tried to lock it and then ran and hid under a table and [got shot],’ Hunt told Global News.

She was hit with bullet through her earlobe, a second just above her left eye, and a third bullet hitting her neck.

Maya’s friends alerted medics that her finger was still moving even after being shot, and she was promptly rushed to the hospital.

While she defied the odds of survival, her mother, Cia Edmonds, revealed on Wednesday that doctors at Vancouver Children’s Hospital warned the ‘damage to her brain was too much for her to endure.’ 

‘They tell me [if] she survives her life will only be feeding [tubes] and round the clock care. I feel cruel for keeping her. But they don’t know her like i do,’ Edmonds wrote in a post Wednesday.

‘I can feel her in my heart. I can feel her saying it’s going to be OK… She’s here… for how long we don’t know,’ she said.

In an update from her mother on Friday, she reported that her daughter has since moved for the first time in 48 hours, though still in critically condition.

‘She’s moved! Its stimulus, a kick, a hand move, but its something!’ her mom said in a Facebook post alongside hopes and prayers.

Murdered before school rampage

Jennifer Strang, 39 and Emmett Strang, 11

Jennifer Strang, 39, the shooter’s mother, was found gunned down in her home along with her son, Emmett, the 11-year-old brother of Jesse.

A young family member ran to the neighbor’s house for help, who then called police.

She had been active on social media in the years leading up to the February 10 massacre, often posting edited selfies, photos of her children, and messages calling out rising hate directed at transgender people. 

Van Rootselaar was also mother to several other children, whose ages range from 14 to 19.

The BC government has declared a province‑wide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said he will visit the community soon, after hundreds attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday night. 

Leaders worldwide have offered condolences to the tight‑knit northeastern BC town. 

An emergency alert was issued around 1.20pm Tuesday warning residents of an active shooter. 

Minutes later, a lockdown alarm sounded inside the local schools, urging students and staff to barricade doors.

Authorities showed up two minutes after Van Rootselaar fired his first shot.

‘Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you,’ an emotional Prime Minister Mark Carney said as he arrived in Parliament. 

Tumbler Ridge is a remote Rockies community of 2,400 known for its waterfalls, hiking trails and UNESCO Global Geopark dinosaur tracks.

Carney said he was ‘devastated’ by the tragedy and suspended a planned trip to Halifax and Munich. 

BC Premier David Eby called the shooting ‘unimaginable,’ urging residents to support the community.