Canadian authorities have identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspect in a shooting that claimed nine lives in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. The tragic events unfolded on Tuesday, leaving six people dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, including a teacher and five students, and two others at a nearby home. Van Rootselaar was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
The suspect's mother, 39, and step-brother, 11, were found deceased at the family residence. According to The Guardian, the deaths at the home occurred prior to the school shooting. Police were initially called to the school after a female youth, related to the suspect and victims, contacted authorities. The death toll was revised down to nine after a female victim with significant injuries survived, though she remains in critical condition.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald confirmed the suspect's identity and that Van Rootselaar was a resident of Tumbler Ridge, according to The Guardian. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing. Hundreds of mourners gathered in Tumbler Ridge's main square and outside the British Columbia legislature in Victoria to exchange comfort and moments of silence.
In other news, an AI safety researcher, Mrinank Sharma, has resigned from US firm Anthropic with a cryptic warning that the "world is in peril," according to BBC. Sharma, who shared his resignation letter on X, cited concerns about AI, bioweapons, and the state of the wider world as his reasons for leaving. He plans to pursue writing and poetry and move back to the UK. This announcement comes in the same week that an OpenAI researcher also resigned, expressing concerns about the company's decision to deploy advertisements in its chatbot.
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