A murderer initially described as a “woman in a dress” attacked a secondary school in a small town in British Columbia, killing seven and wounding many more. Two additional people were killed in a nearby house, and “[p]olice believe the shootings are connected.” The murderer reportedly committed suicide. It’s an interesting question: has a mass shooting ever been carried out by a woman wearing a dress? Maybe, but it is hard to think of one.
Authorities are now referring to the killer as a “gunperson.” They have not released the shooter’s identity, and are maintaining a discreet silence about the perpetrator and the circumstances of the mass murder. But some media outlets have identified the perpetrator as Jesse Strang, age 18:
Some Canadian media outlets, including Western Standard and Juno News, reported that the suspect was 18-year-old Jesse Strang. The identification reportedly came from a close family member, with Juno News stating that the suspect’s uncle, Russell G. Strang, confirmed the identity.
Media reports suggested that a public YouTube account believed to be linked to Jesse Strang displayed a transgender flag and used “she/her” pronouns. These claims spread quickly on social media platforms and fueled intense online discussion.
Law enforcement officials have not confirmed or commented on these personal details.
Jesse Strang:
The identification of Strang as the shooter is not official, and may turn out to be wrong. Maybe Jesse Strang will raise his hand and say, Here I am! I am still alive, I didn’t shoot anyone! But so far, that apparently hasn’t happened.
The number of transgender people in the world is vanishingly small, but they have been involved in a disproportionate number of violent crimes, especially mass shootings. This would seem to be a fact that calls for investigation, but so far the powers that be have averted their eyes.
UPDATE: The murderer’s identity has been confirmed:
The suspect of two shootings at a high school and a home in British Columbia’s quiet community of Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday has been identified as 18-year-old transgender woman Jesse Van Rootselaar from Tumbler Ridge.
Same Jesse, evidently.
Deputy commissioner Dwayne McDonald told reporters Wednesday, “Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female.”
Van Rootselaar began his rampage by murdering his own mother and stepbrother, then continued on to the school.
