Online activity of Canada school shooter shows interest in violent content

Analysts say the 18-year-old suspect spent years engaging with firearms-related posts and graphic violent content online; the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot after a school attack that left several people dead.

Analysts reviewed months of online posts linked to the 18-year-old suspect in the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting. They reported the accounts showed interest in firearms and repeated engagement with graphic violent content. The suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot after the attack, and multiple people were killed at the school. Authorities and analysts are examining the suspect's online history alongside past mental health contacts. Known details: - Analysts at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue traced online activity tied to the suspect from about 2019, noting a shift from video game posts to a 2021 photo of a gun and later posts about substance use and mental health. - About five months before the attack, the suspect reportedly created an account on a site known for graphic violent content and commented on many posts, described by analysts as repeated engagement with such material. - A small simulation game on Roblox Studio and a Roblox account linked by online sleuths were removed by the platform, which said it was cooperating with investigators. - Police said the suspect had been apprehended on prior occasions under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act, and officers responded to mental health calls at the family residence in recent years. - Six people were killed at the school; the suspect and two family members were also found dead at a residence. Summary: The shooting, reported as Canada’s deadliest school shooting since 1989, has prompted investigators and analysts to review the suspect’s online activity, platform responses, and prior mental health contacts. Undetermined at this time.