Gun control groups call for transparency of firearms used in Tumbler Ridge shooting
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A gun-control advocacy group says that seven months after a fatal mass shooting, the public still lacks “basic and essential information about the tools used to quickly produce such human carnage.”
PolySeSouvient, a group formed following the 1989 massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal, has once again penned a letter to RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme, dated Sept. 14, calling for more transparency around the Feb. 10 mass shooting.
It’s co-signed by representatives from Angies Angels, Canadian Doctors for Protection Against Guns, Danforth Families for Safe Communities and Quebec Mosque – all groups impacted by gun violence in Canada.
The letter calls on the RCMP to provide a public update and disclose – “as soon as it is verified and can be released without compromising the investigation” – the make, model, type and classification of every firearm involved in the Tumbler Ridge killings and what year they were prohibited; which firearms were used in which location; the legal status of each firearm; whether they were modified; the legal owner of each firearm; and how the firearms were acquired.
It also asks whether any of the firearms had been reported lost or stolen, previously seized by police, returned with or without a court process; information on why firearms had previously been seized from the suspected shooter’s home and on what basis they were returned; and how they were stored.
PolySeSouvient’s Heidi Rathjen, who was at École Polytechnique during the shooting and the driving force behind Canada’s gun-control legislation, said that as a new school year begins, “students, parents, educators and communities deserve more than condolences.”
“They deserve verified information that can help Canada identify and address failures
in gun control law and/or its enforcement before another mass shooting occurs.”
The RCMP has stayed relatively mum on the specific types of firearms used during the shootings at the home in Tumbler Ridge and at the high school, as well as the ones seized by investigators following the shooting.
In the days after the shooting, RCMP said investigators were analyzing two firearms – a long gun and a rifle that had been modified – seized from the school and a shotgun believed to be used in the shooting at the home was also seized.
While firearms had previously been seized from the home of suspected shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, the “main firearm” believed to be used in the mass shooting at the school had never been seized by police and its origin was “unknown.”
READ MORE: Origin of firearm used in Tumbler Ridge school shooting ‘unknown’: RCMP
That was the last press conference by RCMP since the shooting.
Rathjen said that mass-murder investigations like the one at Tumbler Ridge, “operational secrecy and public accountability can coexist.”
She said that police should operate on a “principle of maximum transparency and minimum secrecy” to maintain public trust, prevent misinformation and allow informed debates about potential policy changes to increase public safety from gun violence.
“No responsible person or party is asking police to release operational details, witness accounts, investigative tactics or material that could prejudice a legal process. But Canadians have a right to know how our gun control system worked – or failed to work – when multiple children are shot and killed in a matter of minutes.”
Recently released court documents, issued following a media consortium, revealed more about suspect Jesse Van Rootselaar and the ongoing investigation.
READ MORE: Tumbler Ridge shooting documents detail confusion around number of shooters
The documents said the investigation revealed Van Rootselaar “had mental health problems and was fascinated by firearms.”
Investigators also sought four firearms, including two shotguns and a rifle.
In the documents, North District Major Crime Unit Const. Jonathan Paquin raised concerns about the public release of the information and that it could influence and impact the goal and purpose of the coroner’s inquest and a potential public inquiry.
“There is no rational excuse to force the public and especially victims’ families to wait years for an inquest, a trial or a final report to be completed, before learning straightforward facts that could reveal preventable gaps in Canada’s firearms law and its enforcement,” Rathjen said.
The letter also calls on RCMP to make a public commitment to regularly update the public on its investigation until it has released a full account of what can safely be disclosed regarding the firearms used.
B.C. RCMP, in a statement to Today In BC, said it is aware of the letter from PolySeSouvient, and has previously responded to their concerns. This is the second letter to Duheme from PolySeSouvient.
READ MORE: RCMP urged to release details on weapons used in Tumbler Ridge shooting
“Like any active investigation, timelines are virtually impossible to provide or predict, as the investigation is dependent on many factors. However, the BC RCMP remains committed to providing answers where and when we can, and we appreciate the public’s patience as verified, official information becomes available,” B.C. RCMP Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said.
Clark also pointed to B.C. RCMP’s July 7 statement on the criminal investigation following Attorney General Niki Sharma’s announcement that the B.C. government had retained legal counsel in California for potential lawsuits regarding the shooting.
The RCMP’s national media team deferred comment to the B.C. RCMP.
The Sept. 14 letter was also sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and B.C. Premier David Eby, among others.
In an unrelated news conference in Surrey on Wednesday, Eby was asked if he thought police should share information regarding the firearms at this point in the investigation.
“I’m really hopeful that the RCMP, as soon as possible, can release information about their investigation related to Tumbler Ridge. I am aware that the investigation continues and that it’s gone on longer than the RCMP expected and that it’s important for the RCMP to control information to be able to complete their investigation fully.”
Eby said he had expected, “bluntly, that there would be a relatively rather short investigation because the shooter was known, the shooter is dead.” He added, “Clearly there are other elements of this that the RCMP are chasing down.”
“I’ll just say that as soon as the RCMP can release this information without compromising their investigation, they should, without seeking to have any sort of political interference in what is a very sensitive and very important investigation for British Columbia.”
Eby said he recognizes that, as the premier, the number-one priority “is that they do the criminal investigation thoroughly, completely and that, if necessary, the prosecution service has a full case for any prosecutions that are necessary.”
He said the second priority is to get all information out to British Columbians as quickly as possible.
