BURST
B.C.’s Chief Coroner is set to make an announcement Tuesday about the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
Dr. Jatinder Baidwan is expected to make the announcement at 9:30 a.m. in Victoria.
It comes amid escalating calls for a public investigation into the events surrounding the tragic events on Feb. 10 that took the lives of eight people including the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar.
Federal Conservative MPs held a news conference Monday calling for a public inquiry.
Bob Zimmer, whose riding of Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies includes Tumbler Ridge, said the parents of the victims, Tumbler Ridge families, and Canadians deserve answers.
“These conversations of grief are now the questions of why the tragedy happened in the first place and what could be done so no one will ever have to go through tragedies like this ever again,” he said.
Frank Caputo, shadow minister for public safety, called for an independent inquiry to look into mental health, access to firearms and protection of victims’ families.
B.C. Premier David Eby has committed to use “any tools available” to make sure questions about the shooting are answered. Any next steps, whether an inquest or a public inquiry, can only proceed once police finish their investigation.
Last week, Larry Neufeld, MLA for Peace River South, also called for a public inquiry with terms of reference and an independent commissioner.
He said the inquiry should look into the role of government and private-sector platforms, including gaps in threat assessment, whether mental health and public safety tools were used appropriately, and the role of online platforms.
OpenAI had flagged Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account for disturbing content in June 2025. The U.S. tech company shut down the account, but did not alert police because it did not meet the threshold for reporting.