Police say Jesse Van Rootselaar, who was found dead from a self-inflicted wound, had a history of police visits to his home to check on his mental health.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said Van Rootselaar first killed his mother and stepbrother at the family home before attacking the nearby school.
More than 25 people were wounded.
The town of Tumbler Ridge is more than 600 miles northeast of Vancouver, near the provincial border with Alberta.
Police said the victims included a 39-year-old teacher and five students, ages 12 to 13.
The killings at the home occurred first, McDonald said. A young family member at the home went to a neighbor, who called police. The bodies of the suspect's mother, who was also 39, and his 11-year-old stepbrother were found at the home.
At the school, one victim was found in a stairwell and the rest were found in the library, McDonald believed. The suspect was not related to any of the victims at the school, he said.
“There is no information at this point that anyone was specifically targeted," McDonald said.
Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun. McDonald said officers arrived at the school two minutes after the initial call. When they arrived, shots were fired in their direction.
Authorities said Van Rootselaar had attended the school before dropping out roughly four years ago. Van Rootselaar, who identified as female but was assigned male at birth, began transitioning six years ago.
Van Rootselaar reportedly had a history of mental health–related contact with police and may have had access to weapons stored at home. Police said officials visited the residence multiple times in recent years for mental health calls, during which weapons were briefly seized under the Criminal Code but later returned following a petition by the lawful owner.
