--- title: "RCMP won't release Tumbler Ridge shooting gun details due to probe" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe" category: "Politics" published: "2026-09-28T20:46:18.961Z" source_reported: "2026-09-28T20:15:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-28T20:46:18.961Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 59 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-28T22:00:21.196442+00:00" --- # RCMP won't release Tumbler Ridge shooting gun details due to probe *Commissioner Mike Duheme cited an active investigation in a letter to gun control groups seeking information.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. One outlet provided a full report, while 24 others provided digests of the same story. - Craft 59 of 100, higher is better. The full report quotes directly from a letter and includes statements from advocacy groups and the RCMP. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is neutral and factual, with no sensationalism or exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Information on firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting will not be released by the RCMP due to an active investigation, according to Commissioner Mike Duheme. - Duheme communicated this decision in a September 23 letter to gun control advocacy groups, including PolySeSouvient. - Eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people in the February 10 attack before taking her own life. - A consortium of media outlets is pursuing legal action to obtain details about the weapons used in the shooting. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme has stated that information regarding the firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting will not be made public because the investigation remains active. Duheme conveyed this in a letter dated September 23, addressed to PolySeSouvient and four other gun control advocacy organisations. The letter echoes a previous statement from an RCMP spokesperson concerning the deadly incident that occurred on February 10 at a home and a school in the British Columbia community. In that attack, eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people before dying by suicide. ## Disagreement on transparency PolySeSouvient stated that seven months after the shooting, basic facts about the firearms used are still unknown to Canadians. The group indicated that Duheme's response provided no clear explanation for which facts must remain confidential or when the public might expect answers. They acknowledged the need for police to protect an active investigation but argued that an ongoing probe should not be a blanket reason to withhold all verified facts about the firearms. PolySeSouvient also suggested that a coroner's inquest should not necessitate further delays in releasing information that can be safely shared sooner. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mention the specific number of firearms seized from Van Rootselaar's home, a detail present in the full report from CTV News. ## Who covered it Shares of the 26 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 65% (17) - Centre: 35% (9) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 27 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-28T22:00:21.196442+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-28T22:45:11.721Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Fifteen left-rated reports focused on RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme's statement that details about firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting would not be released due to an active investigation. These reports highlighted the date of Duheme's letter, September 23, and its recipients, including PolySeSouvient and four other gun control advocacy groups. The left-rated reports also mentioned that eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar was responsible for the deaths of eight people before taking her own life on February 10. The legal action by a consortium of media outlets to obtain information about the weapons was also noted. PolySeSouvient's statement that Canadians still lack basic facts about the firearms seven months after the shooting was a key point in these reports, as was their assertion that an ongoing investigation should not be a reason to withhold all verified facts. ### Centre - Nine centre-rated reports concentrated on RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme's assertion that information about the firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting cannot be released due to an ongoing investigation. These reports identified the date of Duheme's letter as September 23 and named PolySeSouvient and four other gun control advocacy groups as recipients. The centre-rated reports also stated that eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people in the February 10 attack before dying by suicide. The involvement of a consortium of media outlets in legal action to acquire details about the weapons was also mentioned. These reports noted that the RCMP is committed to participating in the B.C. Coroners Service inquest into the shooting and will review any recommendations made. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 14 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 12 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [La Presse](https://lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2026-09-28/tuerie-de-tumbler-ridge/il-est-trop-tot-pour-dire-quelles-armes-ont-ete-utilisees-dit-la-grc.php) — Tumbler Ridge Killings It's Too Early to Tell Which Weapons Were Used, Says the RCMP - [CBC News](https://cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tumbler-ridge-firearms-9.7361424) — Head of RCMP says they still won't share more details on firearms used in Tumbler Ridge shooting - [Chek news](https://cheknews.ca/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-1350458) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Ckpg Today](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Battlefords NOW](https://battlefordsnow.com/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [meadowlakeNOW](https://meadowlakenow.com/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [CFJC Today Kamloops](https://cfjctoday.com/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-2) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Narcity](https://narcity.com/too-soon-to-release-tumbler-ridge-gun-info-duheme) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/canada/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-it-s-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns/article_07db7a2d-5e68-5c40-833a-7c45e9f7b4a4.html) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/canada/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-it-s-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns/article_dedc1e01-1d0e-5518-bd1a-4f1d568e29e0.html) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [SooToday.com](https://sootoday.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Orillia Matters](https://orilliamatters.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Collingwood Today](https://collingwoodtoday.ca/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Thorold Today](https://thoroldtoday.ca/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Elora Fergus Today](https://elorafergustoday.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Sudbury](https://sudbury.com/national/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Bay Today](https://baytoday.ca/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [ElliotLakeToday.com](https://elliotlaketoday.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Medicine Hat News](https://medicinehatnews.com/news/national-news/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Loonie Politics](https://looniepolitics.com/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it’s still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Bradford Today](https://bradfordtoday.ca/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [Timmins Today](https://timminstoday.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [thealbertan.com](https://thealbertan.com/national-news/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns-12831556) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns - [The Lethbridge Herald](https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/national-news/2026/09/28/rcmp-boss-duheme-says-its-still-too-soon-to-release-details-on-tumbler-ridge-guns) — RCMP boss Duheme says it's still too soon to release details on Tumbler Ridge guns ## Questions **Why are details about the Tumbler Ridge shooting firearms being withheld?** RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme stated in a letter that information about the firearms used in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting will not be released because the investigation is still active. He indicated that the timeline for releasing details depends on the progress of gathering and analysing evidence and cannot be determined in advance. **Who requested the information about the firearms?** The information was requested by PolySeSouvient and four other gun control advocacy groups. They communicated their request in a letter to Commissioner Duheme, seeking basic facts about the weapons used in the February 10 attack. **What action is being taken to obtain the information?** A consortium of media outlets is pursuing legal action to obtain information about the guns used in the mass shooting and the weapons seized from the perpetrator's home. This legal challenge aims to gain access to details that the RCMP is currently withholding. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "RCMP won't release Tumbler Ridge shooting gun details due to probe", https://mediabias.news/politics/rcmp-wont-release-tumbler-ridge-shooting-gun-details-due-to-probe