Advocacy groups urge RCMP to release more details on Tumbler Ridge shooting firearms
Gun control groups renewed calls this week for the RCMP to disclose additional information about the firearms used in the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. The groups say 100 days have passed since the incident and key questions remain unanswered.
thehindu.comGun control advocacy groups renewed their calls this week for the RCMP to release more information about the firearms used in the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. The shooting left eight people dead and two others hospitalized. PolySeSouvient and Danforth Families for Safe Communities stated that important questions remain unanswered, including the types of guns used and how the shooter obtained them.
Calls for disclosure Ken Price, a spokesperson with Danforth for Safe Communities, said police have been slow to offer facts publicly, with unverified information about the shooting still circulating on social media. "My biggest fear is that a lot of this stuff gets filled in," he said.
" Both groups said the lack of information leaves the public in the dark and prevents an informed debate about Canada's gun control laws and enforcement.
Background on the incident CBC News is part of a consortium of media outlets taking legal action to obtain information about the guns used in the mass shooting and firearms seized from the home of shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar. Heidi Rathjen, a coordinator for PolySeSouvient, said basic information about what happened in Tumbler Ridge should be disclosed by the RCMP, including why guns were returned to the family's home with an individual experiencing mental health issues.
"When it comes to saving lives, there is no time to wait when information will not compromise any investigation, but it will inform the political debate about what to do," said Rathjen. RCMP previously said there was a history of police attendance at the shooter's family residence, with some calls related to mental health issues.
In one instance, the shooter was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for assessment. RCMP also said the shooter had a firearms licence which expired in 2024, and firearms were seized two years ago from the family home under the Criminal Code, but later returned after being petitioned for by the lawful owner.
