The Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the shooter as Jesse Van Rootselaar, who police said appeared to have killed herself following the shooting. In a news release from Feb. 11, the day after the shooting, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shared a legitimate photo of Van Rootselaar. At that time, Van Rootselaar would have been 11. A day earlier, the RCMP said at a news conference that Van Rootselaar was a transgender woman. Therefore, it is likely that bad actors reposted Strang's photo and misidentified her as Van Rootselaar based on her last name and gender identity.

Source: CBC News February 14, 2026 14:05 UTC