Overview
- RCMP identified the suspect as 22-year-old Jacob Jan Van Rootselaar, the older half-brother of Jesse Van Rootselaar.
- He was arrested on Feb. 19 in Sylvan Lake after warrants were issued a day earlier when he was not at his approved residence, according to police.
- Officers say they found brass knuckles at the time of arrest, leading to two weapons charges and five counts for breaching release conditions.
- He was originally charged in 2024 with attempted murder and breaking and entering in Fort McMurray, where a victim was attacked with a knife sharpener and a broken bottle, RCMP said.
- Van Rootselaar is being held in Red Deer pending a March court appearance, following the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge killings carried out by his sibling that left eight people dead, including five students and a teacher, according to police.