Online activity of Canada school shooter shows a fascination with mass violence and violent content, expert says
CBSN
The online activity of the 18-year-old behind the deadly shooting inside a Canadian high school last week revealed an interest in firearms, mass violence and a history of consuming violent "gore" content, according to expert analysis. In:
The online activity of the 18-year-old behind the deadly shooting inside a Canadian high school last week revealed an interest in firearms, mass violence and a history of consuming violent "gore" content, according to expert analysis.
The shooter, identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, spent time in dark corners of the internet, posting about her struggles with substance use and mental health. Van Rootselaar referred to gore content as "addictive" in posts shared with CBS News by analysts at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works toward solutions to combat extremism.
She was active on the website WatchPeopleDie, which hosts material portraying graphic violence against people and animals. The site has become a common thread between perpetrators of mass violence, CBS News has previously reported, with several other school shooters frequenting the site. Cody Zoschak, a senior manager at the institute, told CBS News that Van Rootselaar's digital footprint revealed a visit to the WatchPeopleDie page of 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who shot and killed a student and a teacher at a school in Wisconsin in 2024.
Zoschak said these online communities can exacerbate typical teenage emotions like loneliness and desperation. In the digital era, teens feeling isolated can opt into online spaces where they might receive validation from strangers, instead of seeking help within their communities. But these spaces can be a dangerous echo chamber with ill-intentioned strangers, he said.
"The worst influence you could have was the worst kid in your school. Now, the worst influence you can have is the worst person on the internet," Zoschak said. "There's a big difference in the degree between those two."
The online activity of the 18-year-old behind the deadly shooting inside a Canadian high school last week revealed an interest in firearms, mass violence and a history of consuming violent "gore" content, according to expert analysis. In:
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