‘Light the house on fire and watch…’: Neighbors say Canadian school shooter Jesse Van Russelaar tried to kill family

A neighbor claims a transgender teen was responsible for Canada’s deadliest school shooting after he tried to set fire to his own family.Earlier this week, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar shot and killed their 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their Tumbler Ridge home, then drove to Tumbler Ridge Middle School and opened fire. Six people died at the school, including a teacher and five children. The gunman then turned the weapon on himself and fatally wounded himself.According to USA Today, Jesse was born a male but transitioned to female six years ago. A total of nine people died, including the attacker. It was one of the worst gun attacks in recent Canadian history. Police say they may never determine a clear motive.Neighbor Melanie, who lives a few houses away from the Rutzlars, said the violence had been foreshadowed years earlier and shared some eerie details about Rutzlar. She told The Telegraph: “A few years ago he set their house on fire because he was trying to kill his family… The house was almost completely gutted.”She added: “He was sitting in the front when the fire truck arrived.”Melanie said everyone on the street saw the fire, which destroyed much of the inside of the wooden house. According to Melanie, the case was later “dismissed” by police. Authorities have not confirmed suspected arson.Van Rootselaar appeared to refer to the incident in a social media post from October 2023 seen by The Daily Telegraph. “The second time I tried mushrooms I went crazy and burned my house down but was still eager to try other options,” the teenage gunman wrote.The post also read: “I was completely out of touch with reality and did a lot of irrational things. It felt like I was in a dream. Many consequences follow. “Police confirmed that Van Russelaar had a history of mental health-related encounters with officers. Firearms had previously been seized from the home and later returned. Investigators said the attacker acted alone and there was no evidence that specific people at the school were targeted.Residents said multiple warnings had been issued. “With proper mental health care, this could all have been avoided,” Melanie said.Those killed at the school were Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert, Kylie Smith and Abel Mwansa, all 12 years old, as well as 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield and 39-year-old teacher Shanda Aviugana-Durand.