TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C., CANADA — Kylie May Smith, 12, has been identified by her family as one of the victims killed in the mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday, February 10. The tragic attack claimed the lives of nine people, including the suspect.
In a GoFundMe campaign set up by her aunt, Shanon Dycke, the family shared their heartbreak. “We are completely devastated and have no words as we try to process the magnitude of the situation,” the fundraiser reads. Dycke wrote on Facebook that “our families’ world has crumbled” following the loss of her “beautiful niece.”
Funds raised are intended to support Kylie’s mother, Desirae, her brother Ethan, and other family members with travel expenses and a memorial to honor Kylie’s memory. Dycke described her niece as a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul” who tragically did not survive the school attack.
Authorities confirmed that the shooting left nine dead, including 18-year-old suspect Jesse van Rootselaar, who was found at the school with what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. Among the victims were one teacher and five students — three 12-year-old girls and two boys aged 12 and 13. The remaining two fatalities were Rootselaar’s mother and his 11-year-old stepbrother, discovered at their home.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the victims inside the school were found in the library and stairwell. Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the devastating attack.
