VICTORIA – British Columbia’s chief coroner is set to make an announcement about last month’s mass killings in Tumbler Ridge, amid calls for a public investigation.
Dr. Jatinder Baidwan will make the announcement this morning at the legislature building in Victoria.
B.C. Premier David Eby has said that his government will use “any tools available” to make sure all questions about the mass shooting are answered.
Eby has said there will either be a coroner’s inquest or a public inquiry after police wrap up their investigation.
Jesse Van Rootselaar shot dead her mother and 11-year-old half-brother at their home, before killing five pupils, a teacher’s aide and then herself, at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Feb. 10.
Federal Conservative MPs have been among those calling for an independent investigation.
Bob Zimmer, whose riding includes Tumbler Ridge in northeastern B.C., said over the weekend that mourning families need answers about the shooter’s mental health and access to guns, as well as the role of artificial intelligence and the protection of the victims’ families.
Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account was flagged internally for worrisome content and it was shut down by OpenAI last June, but the company did not notify police at the time.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.
