Daily Digest — Tumbler Ridge updates (Feb 14, 2026)

Heartbreaking decision: Students in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., will not return to their current high school after the Feb. 10 mass shooting that killed eight people; the suspect, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, also died. In a Feb. 13 letter School District No. 59 (Peace River South) and superintendent Christy Fennell said the site will remain closed while portables and other accommodations are brought in, supports are available daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m. at the community recreation centre, and RCMP — who have interviewed more than 80 people — continue processing the scene.

Important context: Police say the teen who killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge had previously been apprehended under B.C.'s Mental Health Act, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said. That law lets police hold someone for assessment (first up to 48 hours, then a one‑month certificate that can be renewed indefinitely), Jonathan Morris (CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association B.C.) notes gaps in follow-up can lead to repeated admissions, and authorities say weapons were seized from Jesse Van Rootselaar’s home and later returned — prompting calls to examine how mental‑health and firearm laws overlap.