OTTAWA — The mother of the shooter in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., killings once posted a photo on Facebook of several long guns in a cabinet with the caption, “Think it’s time to take them out for some target practice.”

It’s not known whether any of the half dozen firearms in the photo, posted in August 2024 by Jennifer Strang, were used in the shootings Tuesday that claimed the lives of nine people.

The RCMP has identified Strang, also known as Jennifer Jacobs, as the mother of Jesse Van Rootselaar, who police say killed Strang and seven others before taking her own life.

The RCMP said Wednesday at a news conference that two firearms — a long gun and a modified handgun — were recovered by responding officers.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said determining the origin of the two firearms and what role they played in the shootings remained a significant part of an ongoing investigation.

McDonald said police had previously been to the family’s home, where firearms were seized under the Criminal Code and later returned.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2026.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press