An FBI complaint says Jesse Van Rootselaar discussed an SKS rifle and other firearms with a Washington man before the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge school attack.
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A criminal complaint filed in the United States alleges that Jesse Van Rootselaar obtained firearms and ammunition that she intended to use in the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge attack, and that some items had previously been confiscated by RCMP.
The complaint, sworn by an FBI agent in Seattle, describes allegations in the case against James Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, Washington, who is charged with conspiracy to murder in a foreign country.
According to the complaint, Van Rootselaar told Bryant in online chats on the Discord platform that she had convinced another person to purchase ammunition on her behalf.
The complaint also says Van Rootselaar discussed firearm parts and attachments, including a “switch” device for an SKS rifle and magazines.
In the complaint, Bryant is alleged to have told investigators that Van Rootselaar used some of the same items during the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
The complaint includes photographs, including one that the FBI says shows Van Rootselaar posing on her knees while holding an olive-green rifle with a telescopic sight on the morning of the attack.
Another photo in the complaint is described as showing a Canuck-branded shotgun that Van Rootselaar allegedly said would also be used in the attack, with a sticker on the firearm.
In a claim the complaint says was not tested in court, the FBI alleges that Van Rootselaar told Bryant the “police knocked my SKS sights off zero a lil bit” when the gun was “roughly confiscated,” and that adjusting the sights would require “a lot of work.”
The complaint states that Van Rootselaar killed eight victims on Feb. 10, including her mother and brother at their home and five students and an educational assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
RCMP’s criminal investigation into the shooting is ongoing, even though the complaint describes that Van Rootselaar killed herself at the school.
Acting commanding officer in B.C., Assistant RCMP Commissioner Elija Rain, said investigators have made substantial progress, adding that RCMP’s release of information about the case has recently been limited because of the need to ensure investigative theories and actions were not compromised.
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