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OTTAWA — Five gun control advocacy groups have told the RCMP they’re “alarmed and disappointed” the force has not yet disclosed basic information about the models and legal status of the firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting.
In response, the RCMP has said the information is subject to an active investigation — meaning the force doesn’t know when the details will be available.
In a letter sent Tuesday to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, the groups say “there is no discernible reason” not to immediately disclose the information, which they say could help strengthen public safety and prevent more shootings.
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The letter was signed by Heidi Rathjen of the group PolySeSouvient, with the support of representatives of Angie’s Angels, Canadian Doctors for Protection Against Guns, Danforth Families for Safe Communities and the Quebec Mosque.
The Feb. 10 shootings at a school and home in Tumbler Ridge left nine people dead, including Jesse Van Rootselaar, the young assailant.
The Canadian Press is part of a consortium of media outlets that is taking legal action to obtain information about guns used in the mass shooting and weapons seized from the home of Van Rootselaar.
The letter from the gun control advocacy groups said the RCMP’s reputation and public trust were significantly damaged by the force’s handling of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting.
They note that among the RCMP’s failures cited in the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report on the Nova Scotia shootings was an institutional mindset that “undervalues community relationships.”
“We urge you and all members of the RCMP to demonstrate that the lessons learned from Nova Scotia are being applied to the Tumbler Ridge investigation, that is, by being transparent with the public about the guns used in this school shooting — information Canadians expect and deserve,” the letter said.
The groups also want to know when the RCMP will release what it knows about the legal status and source of the guns used in the B.C. shooting.
Details related to a previous seizure of firearms from the family home of the shooter, and the justifications for returning them, “are also of great interest to the victims’ families and the public,” the letter added.
“Releasing verified information now — at the very least regarding the firearms used — will strengthen citizens’ trust and confidence in the RCMP,” it read.
In its response to the letter Tuesday, the RCMP’s B.C. division said the police investigation will conclude “only once all investigative avenues have been exhausted and the evidence suggests there are no additional leads to follow.”
“It’s impossible to provide a specific or detailed timeline as it is subject to the gathering of all digital and physical evidence and any analysis,” the response added.
The Mounties said they were also mindful of the recent announcement of a coroner’s inquest into the shooting and await “further information around time, location and scope.”
PolySeSouvient told The Canadian Press that gun control advocacy organizations are in no way calling for the RCMP to rush its investigation.
“All we are asking for is the release of basic information, like the models of firearms used, that could help prevent future mass shootings,” the group said.
“Transparency is needed to inform policy debates, like what type of guns and accessories should not be legally available for ordinary citizens.”
