“Yesterday parents packed their kids lunch, today they are making funeral arrangements, there’s no place for politics in any of this.”
—Trevor Halford
If there is any glimmer of hope to be found in the senseless tragedy that has unfolded in Tumbler Ridge, it may lie in the extraordinary way in which the province has come together to mourn.
Politicians at the legislature stood together Wednesday to denounce the violence that had claimed the lives of eight people, six of them children, at the hands of a teenaged shooter in the community’s high school.
Many hugged and stood shoulder to shoulder at a candlelight vigil on the front steps of the building Wednesday night. An emotional Speaker Raj Chouhan said the violence was difficult to comprehend and “we can only pray together, hold hands together, (and) send our love to all those people.”
The NDP, Conservatives and Greens announced a plan to proceed with a day of mourning instead of the government’s usual throne speech on Thursday, carving out time to grieve.
The house leaders of the three parties said they would not allow political gamesmanship or partisan theatre to interfere with a tribute speech to Tumbler Ridge by Lieut.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia, nor would anyone seek to take advantage of the absence of Premier David Eby, Solicitor General Nina Krieger or Conservative Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld from the building, for the purposes of catching the government off-guard on votes with its slim one-seat majority.
‘We understand the gravity of the moment”
“We understand the gravity of the moment,” said Conservative house leader Á’a:líya Warbus.
“And wanting to put a very brief but respectful pin in the politics that would normally occur in the legislature. I think taking advantage of something like this on either side would not be serving anyone.”
Question period for budget day Feb. 17 was also cancelled, though the budget is going ahead as planned otherwise.
“There’s a respectful agreement here that we’re going to allow for the time and space needed,” said Warbus.
“Yesterday parents packed their kids lunch, today they are making funeral arrangements, there’s no place for politics in any of this,” added interim Opposition Conservative leader Trevor Halford.
Premier David Eby visited Tumbler Ridge on Wednesday evening and said local, regional, provincial and federal governments are all working to give the small community of 2,500 people the help and resources it needs to process its grief.
“Behind me are colleagues from different political parties, different levels of government, first responders, community members, Conuma Resources, a major employer here in town, all of us unified in our commitment to support the people of this community,” said the premier, who at times in his press conference fought through tears.
Shooter previously apprehended under Mental Health Act
The RCMP said the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, first killed his mother and step-brother at his house Tuesday afternoon, then travelled to the high school where he opened fire and killed six others, before committing suicide.
Van Rootselaar had a lengthy history with police, including gun offences and mental health concerns. He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act for care as recently as May, said police.
How the system failed to flag him as a risk, will be one of many questions asked.
Van Rootselaar had not been to school in four years, said police. In some way, he appears to have slipped through the checks and balances most would expect within the health care, education and law enforcement systems.
“Police are doing their investigation as part of the criminal process that they go through, they will be able to share information with the public more and more as the days go on,” said Eby.
“That information will answer some questions, it will probably bring others about contacts with the mental health system, about the guns, about other issues.
“My commitment to British Columbia is any questions that the police are unable to answer through the criminal investigation we’ll ensure are answered through the processes that are available to us as a province.”
Failures in the system are topics for another day
Neufeld, who flew back from Victoria to be in Tumbler Ridge, said he had appropriately kept in the loop on any available information from Solicitor General Nina Krieger. But the rookie MLA was at a loss for words throughout the day on how to explain the situation.
“I don’t believe the English language contains verbiage that is strong enough to describe the full horror of what has gone on here,” he told Global News.
“I don’t believe the English language contains verbiage that is strong enough to describe the full horror of what has gone on here.”
Larry Neufeld
It is likely that opposition parties will need to hold the government accountable for failures in the system, in the days ahead.
Tumbler Ridge had been suffering a shortage of doctors, and curtailed hours at the local ER, for example. The community is losing another doctor in March. Mayor Darryl Krakowka admitted that shortage extends to mental health resources.
“We know as elected officials in our community that we are short on that mental health counseling and stuff,” he said.
Eby said the province had dispatched doctors, counsellors, support workers and others to the district to help.
Independent MLA fixates on killer’s trans gender identity
While the rest of the MLAs united at the legislature, there was one who took a different path.
Tara Armstrong, the MLA for Kelowna–Lake Country–Coldstream, unleashed a torrent of hate on social media targeting the killer’s trans gender identity. Police say Van Rootselaar was born a male but began transitioning to female six years ago.
“Will David Eby take any accountability for this transgender mass murder?” Armstrong posted online.
“After 9+ years of pushing radical gender ideology in schools and healthcare, will he finally repeal SOGI? Will he take any action at all?”
“Trans gender ideology is radicalizing youth, and unlocking violent impulses,” she added.
It was a repugnant display, unbefitting an elected official. Not even Armstrong’s former OneBC colleague Dallas Brodie went as far.
Focus on those who are grieving, says Halford
Back in the real world, the politicians better read the mood of the voting public.
“Will difficult questions come? They may,” said interim Conservative leader Halford. “I don’t know what they are right now. That’s not the focus of where I think it needs to be. The focus is on the lives that have been absolutely shattered.”