'So many young lives were ended so needlessly': What we know about the Tumbler Ridge school victims

More information is emerging about those killed in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting .

On Wednesday, the RCMP said the school victims were a 39-year-old female teacher, and five students — three 12-year-old girls, and two boys, one aged 12 the other 13.

Police have identified the suspected shooter as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, a biological male who began to transition to female about six years ago. Police believe Van Rootselaar died of a self-inflicted injury inside the school after the shooting.

Two more people — whom police believe are Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year-old stepbrother — were found dead at a nearby home.

Here’s what we know so far about the victims of the school shooting.

“As many of you already know, Melody and I tragically lost our 13-year-old grandson,” his grandfather, Peter Schofield, wrote on social media.

Ezekiel, who played hockey, was “an amazing child” who always had a smile on his face, the president of the Tumbler Ridge Minor Hockey Association told the Vancouver Sun.

“We have heard from so many dear friends and family members, both near and far, and we are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences during this devastating time,” his grandfather said in a Facebook post. “Your messages, prayers, and support mean more to us than words can express.”

The grieving grandfather, who could not be reached immediately for comment Thursday, asked people to keep “all of Tumbler Ridge” in their thoughts and prayers.

“The tears just keep flowing,” he said.

“So many young lives were ended so needlessly. Our hearts are broken not only for (Ezekiel), but for every family affected by this tragedy.”

Kylie May Smith was a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul,” her aunt Shanon Dykce wrote on a GoFundMe campaign to support the family.

In a Facebook post, Dykce said their family’s world “crumbled” when they learned the 12-year-old girl was among the dead.

“We are completely devastated and have no words as we try to process the magnitude of the situation.”

Dykce described her as a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul.”

Abel Mwansa loved school so much he cried when his father suggested home schooling, his grieving dad said in an emotional Facebook post.

“Our son went to school this morn­ing and it happened that someone came to school with a GUN, went to my kid’s classroom shot some kids and my son was killed too just like that,” his father wrote.

The boy was raised “to respect eld­ers, answer to one call, be strong, work hard,” focus on his stud­ies and “never miss school,” his dad added.

Mwansa said that before his son picked up his back­pack and left for school Tues­day morn­ing, he asked his mother to ask his father to pick him up after class at church, where he would be attend­ing a youth meet­ing, “for he loved the Lord.”

He got a call at work while he was hav­ing lunch to pick Abel up at church at 6 p.m. only later to learn that his son had been shot “like a stray dog murdered in cold blood.”

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.