Trans shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar ‘tried to kill his family before’ by setting home on fire

Melanie, a neighbor who lives a few houses down from where the shooter took the life of his family, told the outlet, “A couple of years back, he lit their house on fire because he was trying to kill his own family… it almost completely burnt down. He was just sitting out in the front when the fire trucks arrived."

Melanie, who did not provide her last name, said that "everyone on the street saw the blaze," which destroyed the inside of the Canadian home. The incident, however, was later "dismissed" by the police. The outlet said that authorities have not confirmed the incident.

Van Rootselaar has a history of mental illness, and police have been called a number of times to the home related to mental health episodes as well as firearm incidents. The outlet reports that in a social media post, Van Rootselaar mentioned the alleged arson attack, saying that he was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms at the time.

“I went crazy and burnt my house down the second time trying shrooms, but still have the desire to try alternatives," Van Rootselaar wrote on Oct 28, 2023.

He added that he had a “complete break from reality and did a lot of irrational things, I felt like I was dreaming. Many consequences ensued.” A student who saw the burning of the home take place said that he thought the trans shooter was going to Tumbler Ridge secondary school to shoot two of his other siblings who attended the school.

Student Duncan McKay, 17, told the outlet, “I am positive he went to finish off his family." The victims who were later shot at the school were not related to Van Rootselaar. The neighbor, Melanie, believes that the shooting would not have happened if Van Rootselaar's mental health issues had been addressed sooner.