Just days after the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting left eight people dead and dozens more injured, at least two online platforms say they have deleted accounts and content believed to be those of the shooter.
Eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, the shooter, was found deceased inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in what RCMP believes was a self-inflicted injury.
Online platforms YouTube and Roblox each shared statements with Global News on Friday.
“Following this horrific incident, our Trust and Safety teams identified and removed a YouTube channel associated with the alleged suspect in accordance with our Creator Responsibility Guidelines,” YouTube said in a written statement.
Roblox, which is a social gaming platform and creation system where millions of users play, create and socialize in virtual worlds called “experiences,” also said it deleted an account.
“We have removed the user account connected to this horrifying incident as well as any content associated with the suspect. We are committed to fully supporting law enforcement in their investigation,” a Roblox spokesperson said in a written statement.
“The user’s account and any content created by the user was removed from Roblox on Feb. 11, 2026.”
Roblox also said the specific “experience” in question that may have been designed and created by the suspect was accessible publicly by downloading a separate app. Roblox adds that this particular “experience” had seven visits by other users on the platform.
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The company would not confirm what the specific nature of the “experience” was, or what it may have involved or depicted.
“Roblox is committed to creating a safe environment for our users,” Roblox said in the statement.
“While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to strengthen protections to keep users safe.”
Roblox also said it encourages other users to report “rule-breakers” and any content that may be inappropriate through its internal reporting feature.
YouTube and other social media platforms have been under the microscope by regulators and safety experts worldwide for their responses to past cases of mass violence as well as for what content is available to users, especially those who are minors.
The Tumbler Ridge shooting is not the first to have connections to social media and online video and gaming platforms.
In 2022, a gunman in Buffalo, N.Y., killed 10 people in a supermarket and livestreamed the attack on Twitch, a live video social media platform. They also discussed details about preparing weapons and body armour with other users ahead of the attack on an online chat forum called Discord.
In 2019, a lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand and livestreamed the attack on Facebook. The attack prompted Meta, then known as Facebook, to take steps to tighten rules around its livestreaming feature.
Social media platforms are also facing growing calls for age verification and bans around the world.
In Australia, a ban was implemented last year for anyone under age 16 to use these platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X, formerly Twitter. It was the first nation to enact an age-based social media ban or restriction.
Other countries taking steps to pass similar legislation include France, Denmark and Spain.
There is currently no form of age-based ban or restriction on social media use in Canada, but steps are being taken to address the safety of online users — especially children and young teens.
Last summer, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said Ottawa was going to take a “fresh” look at online harms legislation.
The Liberal government introduced the Online Harms Act in 2024, but it has yet to be passed into law. The act, which is aimed at regulating harmful online content and holding online platforms accountable, has been heavily scrutinized for concerns about limiting free speech.
User safety on Roblox has been brought into question in the past, including for its risk of addiction in young children.
Alberta RCMP’s internet child exploitation unit also raised concerns in 2023 that Roblox was being used by predators to exploit children online.
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