Police say 18-year-old Jessie Van Ruetselaar killed her mother and half-brother before going on a mass shooting in B.C.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he will soon visit the remote British Columbia town Tumbler Ridgewhere nine people died in the nation’s worst mass shooting, according to his office.
Police said that the 18-year-old Jesse Van Ruetselaarwho had mental health problems, killed her mother and half-brother before shooting a teacher and five young students at a local school on Tuesday.
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Van Ruetselaar, who police say was born a man but identified as a woman six years ago, later died by suicide.
“The Prime Minister will soon be visiting Tumbler Ridge in support of the community … (we are) working closely with the community and local authorities to finalize the details based on their own immediate needs,” Carney’s office said in a brief statement Thursday, which did not provide any details.
Beyond Tumbler Ridge, around 2,400 towns, flowers and stuffed animals can be seen in unofficial public monuments in the Canadian Rockies.
“Hold your kids tight, tell them every day you love them. You never know,” a tearful Lance Young, the father of 12-year-old victim Kylie Smith, told reporters Wednesday.
Carney announced Wednesday that Canadian flags will be flown at half-staff on federal buildings for seven days following the mass school shooting.
Honor the victims
The police, who said they still had no intention, held a meeting with district officials late on Wednesday.
“They’re working very hard — they recognize that people need to hear information to fill that void,” local provincial legislator Larry Neufeld told CBC News on Thursday.
Police said they visited Van Routselaar’s home several times to address mental health issues and twice took her in for formal evaluations.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Wednesday that he has contacted local health officials to ask for more details on the interaction.
At one point, police confiscated guns from the home, but the owner, whose identity they did not disclose, returned them after successfully appealing the decision.
British Columbia observed an official day of mourning on Thursday. Provincial Lieutenant-Governor Wendy Kochia, personal representative of King Charles, Canada’s head of state, will address the Assembly in honor of the victims.
In Toronto, the iconic CN Tower went dark at the top of every hour on Wednesday to honor the victims of the tragedy.
“The #CNTower will slow for 5 minutes at the top of every hour tonight in memory of the victims of the attack at Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia,” the CN Tower’s official social media account posted Wednesday.