RCMP Arrest Brother of Tumbler Ridge Shooter for Breaking Bail on Attempted Murder Charge

RCMP say they have arrested the older brother of the Tumbler Ridge school shooter on a national warrant for breaking bail while awaiting trial for an alleged attempted murder in 2024.

Jacob Van Rootselaar, 22, was wanted in connection with the 2024 case, which police say occurred in Fort McMurray, Alta., according to a Feb. 23 statement to The Epoch Times.

He was released on bail pending his trial, but was arrested on Feb. 19 in Sylvan Lake, Alta., due to breaching court-ordered release conditions.

After being previously charged and released from custody, Van Rootselaar had been approved to live in a facility in Alberta, but later changed the address where he would be living to Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

However, police said that earlier this month when they did an address check in Tumbler Ridge, he was not living where he had said and a Canada-wide warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said that in addition to charges connected to the outstanding warrant, Van Rootselaar has also been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous person, and five counts of failure to comply with release conditions.

Van Rootselaar’s first court appearance for the new charges was on Feb. 23 in Red Deer, Alta., and he will return to court on March 2 when the prosecution will formally decide how the charges against him will be prosecuted.

Savinkoff confirmed that Jacob Van Rootselaar is related to 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge school shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed five young students and a teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Feb. 10 as well as two family members at home.

Jesse Van Rootselaar died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Feb. 10 after committing the mass shooting at the school, according to police.