Conservative voices in the U.S. reacted Wednesday to news that the suspected school shooter in British Columbia on Tuesday was trans, arguing the deadly incident showed a pattern.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that Jesse Van Rootselaar, of Tumbler Ridge, was a "biological male who approximately six years ago began to transition to female."
While a motive remained unclear, prominent MAGA voices and commentators focused on their gender identity.
"SO freaking predictable," Nick Sortor, a right-leaning independent journalist, posted to X. "He started transitioning at 15 and was prescribed HEAVY SSRIs. Wokeism KlLLS."
The reactions continue a trend of those on the right latching onto the gender identity of trans suspects in shooting incidents, and while there have been a handful of suspects in the U.S., the Gun Violence Archive identified five transgender or nonbinary shooters out of roughly 5,700 U.S. mass shootings from 2013 through September 2025 -- roughly 0.09 percent. In Canada, school shootings are extremely rare in comparison, largely due to stricter gun laws.
MAGA commentators took to X and other social media platforms on Wednesday to denounce the shooting at Ridge Secondary School in Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday, which left 10 people dead and more than 25 injured, after the suspect, who was among the dead, was revealed.
Van Rootselaar, who was 18, had started transitioning six years ago, police said. She was found dead inside the school, from what officers said was a self-inflicted injury. Officers said she had a history of police visits to her home over mental health concerns.
Right-leaning voices said they refused to refer to the suspect as "she", with Libs of TikTok posting to X that the media was "covering up trans violence" by referring to the suspect as female.
Gerald Posner, a right-leaning author, posted to X that "facts should come before ideology" when talking about how the media was reporting on the case. It has been well established that most media outlets will refer to individuals as they would wish to be identified, i.e., a trans woman using she/her pronouns would be identified as such.
Those on the far-right, however, feel that there is a pattern of transgender violence and that a growing number of mass shootings are committed by those who have been through gender-affirming care. The Trump administration has also proposed banning transgender people from owning guns by labelling gender dysmorphia as a disqualifying condition.
By comparison, cisgender males committed 97.5 percent of mass shootings between 1996 and 2024, while cisgender women made up 2.03 percent of cases in the U.S.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on X: "I am devastated by today's horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence," Carney said in a post on X. I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens. Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country -- our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other."
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, BC RCMP Commanding Officer, in a press release on Wednesday: "We understand the community has questions and wants to understand the motive behind this tragic incident. We do believe the suspect acted alone and there are currently no other outstanding suspects. Our investigators remain on scene actively gathering information to determine the full circumstances of what transpired."
Canadian authorities were continuing to investigate the shooting on Wednesday evening.