02/15/2026
REMEMBERING TUMBLER RIDGE
This Family Day weekend, we pause to remember the tragedy that took place in Tumbler Ridge just a few short days ago. We remember the lives lost, the injured students, the families shattered, a community in mourning, and the lasting impact that this will have on that community and on all of us in BC and across Canada.
We also send our thanks to the first responders for their brave and selfless acts in their efforts to both save the victims and support their families.
To our colleagues in Funeral Service, we offer our support and thanks as you provide your services to care for these families, many of whom you likely know personally.
The following information and photos are taken from an article in the Vancouver Sun, published on February 12th, 2026. -
"The B.C. community of Tumbler Ridge remains in deep shock after eight people were killed Tuesday in one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings.
Among the victims found in Tumbler Ridge Secondary School were five youths and a 39-year-old educator, Shannda Aviugana-Durand.
Also killed were Emmett Jacobs, 11, and Jennifer Jacobs, 39, the stepbrother and mother of 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar who police say used two fi****ms to shoot them at home before going to the school to kill the others.
The loss of life has shaken a nation as details emerged about the victims whose lives were cut too soon — a future scientist, a princess, a hockey player, a girl with a contagious laugh, and a “brave hulk” who protected her younger siblings.
Two other teens — Maya Gebala and Paige Hoekstra — were seriously injured and were airlifted to a Vancouver hospital.
Here is what we know of the victims:
Abel Mwansa Jr., 12 -
Abel Mwansa Jr. loved school and had the makings of an engineer or a scientist. But that future was cut short when Abel, the son of immigrants from Zambia, went to school on Tuesday morning and didn’t return.
Mom, Bwalya Chisanga, said the last thing Abel said before he left for school that morning was to ask her to tell his dad to pick him up at church after school.
In raw, emotional posts on Facebook, Abel Mwansa Sr., a local pastor, said he raised his son “to respect elders, answer to one call, be strong, work hard,” “focus on his studies” and “never miss school.”
“If I had power to give life I would have brought you back to life together with others that where killed alongside you but son my power is limited,” he wrote in another. “Seeing your child murdered at this age is heartbreaking. I was broken when I saw you packed in that BLACK BAG lifeless and zipped up like those we see in movies was devastating.”
Abel leaves behind his parents, a sister and a brother. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family in their time of need.
Ticaria Lampert, 12 -
Ticaria, whose nickname was Tiki, was “a loving, courageous, humorous, one of a kind kiddo” who loved K-pop Demon Hunters and had a contagious laugh, said family friend and neighbour Kenesha Mercredi.
“Her friends and family were her No. 1 priority in life and it showed,” said Mercredi. “Ticaria was such a kind and loving person, would take the shirt off her back for anyone.”
Mercredi said she will cherish the bond she had with Ticaria, who had helped her paint, make meals and do crafts.
Ticaria was one of eight children and loved her siblings. Her mother, Sarah Lampert, is a single mom, who has devoted her life to her children.
“No mother deserves this,” said Mercredi, who has organized a GoFundMe to help the Lampert family with funeral costs.
Zoey Benoit, 12 -
Zoey was “a beautiful, loved, strong-minded 12-year-old,” said mom Lori Hayer, who wrote a tribute for her eldest daughter on Facebook on Thursday.
Zoey loved art and had a beautiful singing voice, she said. “She was our baby, our girl and our brave hulk, and would kick some ass if you pi**ed her off and if someone tried (to) hurt her brother or sister oh goodness look out.”
Hayer said their youngest daughter was safe at the elementary school with her two younger cousins and aunt in the school. She also had a son and a nephew at the high school who made it out unharmed. They waited for hours for Zoey to show up, she said, but she never did.
Kylie Smith, 12 -
Kylie’s mom Desirae Pisarski’s world was shattered Tuesday night when she got a call no parent should ever have to receive.
Kylie, 12, “had the biggest heart and was such a gentle, loving, caring girl, who lit up the way everywhere she went,” said Pisarski in a Facebook post.
She shared several photos of her daughter: On a ski lift, in a sparkly figure skating outfit, proudly holding up a certificate for being an Artful Artist in elementary school. In one photo, a young Kylie was dressed in a turquoise tutu and a princess crown. “You are at peace now, princess,” said Pisarski.
Kylie’s father Lance Younge told CTV News that the seventh-grader was the “light in our family.” She loved art and anime and was thriving in high school.” He asked people to remember Kylie and the other victims instead of focusing on the perpetrator.
Kylie’s older brother Ethan was unharmed.
Aunt Shanon Dycke, who set up a GoFundMe page to help the family with funeral expenses, described her niece as a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul.” “We are completely devastated and have no words as we try to process the magnitude of the situation,” she said.
Ezekiel Schofield, 13 -
Ezekiel Schofield was identified as one of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge shooting by grandfather Peter Schofield.
The 13-year-old was listed as a forward for the U-15 Tumbler Ridge Raptors and was “an amazing child,” said David Campbell, the president of the Tumbler Ridge Minor Hockey Association.
Schofield said he was heading to Tumbler Ridge to be with family. “So many young lives were ended so needlessly. Our hearts are broken not only for Ezekiel, but for every family affected by this tragedy.”
Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39 -
Shannda Aviugana-Durand was remembered as “genuine, salt of the earth” and generous — a “give the shirt off her back to make sure you didn’t freeze kind of woman,” said friend Kyle Odber in a tribute on Facebook.
She leaves behind a husband, daughter and a son.
The B.C. General Employees’ Union confirmed Aviugana-Durand was a member of the union and worked as staff at Tumble Ridge Secondary. “We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, coworkers, and all those whose lives she touched.”
Emmett Jacobs, 11 -
Emmett Jacobs was Van Rootselaar’s stepbrother, said RCMP. He was found dead inside the family’s home on Fellers Avenue.
Jennifer Jacobs, 39 -
Jennifer Jacobs, who also went by Jennifer Strang, was Van Rootselaar’s mother. Her body was found inside the home, along with Emmett. Court documents said Jacobs and her children lived in Powell River, Grand Cache, Alta. and Newfoundland between 2010 and 2015.
Among the injured:
Maya Gebala, 12 -
Maya Gebala is one of two students airlifted from Tumbler Ridge in critical condition after being wounded in the school shooting. She remains in B.C. Children’s Hospital fighting for her life, said mother Cia Edmonds.
The 12-year-old was shot in the head and on the neck and doctors had told Edmonds the damage to Maya’s brain might be insurmountable. Gebala is clinging to life and showed progress on Thursday.
“It’s a “stimulus, a kick, a hand move, but it’s something,” said her mom in an update.
She also posted a photo montage of her daughter in the outdoors: Camping, horseback riding, paddle boarding, and golfing.
“My climber. My builder. My hockey star,” she wrote. Gebala played defence for the U-13 Tumbler Ridge Raptors team.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Maya’s recovery.
Paige Hoekstra, 19 -
Paige was shot in the chest and airlifted to a Vancouver hospital where she underwent surgery.
In an update on a GoFundMe page Thursday, Leann Fletcher, Paige’s sister said the teen is out of danger and in stable condition. She shared a brief message from Paige, who said: “I want to tell everyone that I am okay and I am recovering.”
Fletcher said she and Paige’s mom have been by her side through the ordeal and said they are fortunate Paige is OK.
“We would also like to extend our own support and prayers to the families of the all the other victims,” she said “We are here with you in your grief with the rest of the community.”
Here’s how you can support the victims and survivors
The Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council has launched a GoFundMe page for the victims and survivors of the tragedy.
The council said the funds will provide assistance to affected families to cover expenses and support their daily needs.
“As we come together in grief and solidarity, it is clear that those impacted will need our support — not only emotionally but also financially — as they navigate the challenges ahead,” it said.
As of Thursday, the fundraiser had raised more than $340,000.
In co-ordination with the council, Lake View Credit Union has set up a donation account for people impacted by the shooting. Donations can be made in person at its branches or by transfer."
Article By Cheryl Chan - chchan@postmedia.com and Tiffany Crawford - ticrawford@postmedia.com
Published on February 12, 2026 in The Vancouver Sun with Postmedia files. Text and photo credits to the Vancouver Sun.
