In his first comprehensive remarks since the horrific event, the stepfather of the transgender individual responsible for a deadly school shooting has expressed the profound anguish he has been experiencing. Speaking with The Post, he described the emotional turmoil following the tragedy.
Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old who had left high school, committed a brutal attack on Tuesday. Authorities report that he first took the lives of his mother, Jennifer Strang, aged 39, and his half-brother, Emmett Jacobs, 11, before launching an assault at Tumble Ridge Secondary School, located in a small town in British Columbia.
Now, Jean-Pierre Jacobs, his stepfather, faces the daunting task of navigating the aftermath of this devastating incident.
“Losing Emmett, my son, has been a heart-wrenching experience,” Jacobs shared on Saturday. “Despite any past disagreements with Jennifer, she and the others did not deserve such a fate.”
Jacobs described his grief as “unbearable” as he mourns the loss of his family. He and Strang shared three children together, adding further depth to his sorrow.
Residing in Alberta, Jacobs explained that he had been estranged from his children for eight years. He recounted how his efforts to arrange visits and maintain contact through phone calls were consistently rebuffed by Strang after their separation.
“Emmett was beautiful boy. When I was around, he loved fishing and being outdoors with me, he was happy, smart and kind. If I could have continued to spend time with him, I would have.
“My heart has always ached for him, and I have missed him and my other surviving children tremendously.”
Van Rootselaar was described as a deranged teen, who was obsessed with mass shootings and death videos.
“Jesse was a troubled child and I did what I could before we split up, I had no idea it had gotten this bad,” he added.
He and Strang were still legally married, but Jacobs said he was in the process of filing for divorce and planning on marrying his current partner.
“I am currently looking to what is best for my other surviving children when the time is right and I am left here picking up the pieces of what’s left of my family in Tumbler Ridge,” he said.
“There was much I never knew about and much she held from me. I truly forgive her for it all, despite everything.”
The remaining children are staying with Strang’s parents, said Jacobs, who plans to fight for custody.
