Father of Canadian trans school shooter distances himself from son: 'Not part of his life'

The father of the trans school shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar, also known as Jesse Strang, has tried to distance himself from his son who identified as a woman. The father referred to his son with male pronouns as well as called him by his mother's surname in a statement.

Justin Van Rootselaar said in a statement that he is not to be blamed for the chaos his 18-year-old son caused in the small Canadian community of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. The shooter killed eight people, including six children. “I was estranged from Jesse Strang and was not part of his life,” the father told the CBC in a statement.  The mother of Jesse, identified by the RCMP as Jennifer Jacobs, was also among the eight people who were shot dead on Tuesday.

“His mother declined my involvement from the beginning, and I was not given the opportunity to be a part of raising him. Jesse did not use the [Van Rootselaar] family name at any point in his life,” he added. “While that distance is the reality of our relationship, it does not lessen the heartbreak I feel for the pain that has been caused to innocent people and to the town we call home."

The gunman shot and killed his mother as well as his 11-year-old stepbrother in a rampage starting in their home and before going to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire on children and others. He killed five children as well as a teacher in the process, while wounding dozens of others.

He then killed himself at the school. Authorities later recovered a long gun as well as a handgun. He was “born a biological male … who approximately six years ago began to transition to female, and identified as female" Canadian police said earlier this week. Police had visited the home on multiple occasions over concerns with Van Rootselaar’s mental health.