Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that the decline in power and influence of the United States is setting the world on a path towards an international collision unless world leaders can find a ‘new balance.’
Orban suggested at a Transylvanian conservative festival over the weekend that the balance of global power is shifting at an unprecedented pace and is making the world far more dangerous as a result. The “million dollar question,” Orban asserts, is whether the world is able to avoid the mass collision.
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“The USA’s dominance on the world stage is constantly waning. They are not happy, they want to stay on top of the world forever,” argued the Hungarian Prime Minister, highlighting the political, economic, and militaristic rise of China.
He suggested that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s international projects – including the One Belt and One Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the BRICS organization – are creating a favorability of process that is becoming an “inconvenient truth” for the United States, especially since many countries are turning away from the West’s values.
“We are now living through the most dangerous moments in world politics when the number one world power sees that it is slipping into second place… We are moving toward a clash day by day,” Orban added.
Orban is not alone in predicting a global conflict. British Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace predicted that Britain would be dragged into a global conflict by the end of the decade last week.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A right-wing activist has died after being severely beaten in the street by Antifa terrorists.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Antifa, the 23-year-old victim, identified as “Quentin,” the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, and a female-led anti-mass migration activist group Collectif Némésis.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The beating occurred on the evening of February 12, with Quentin’s death announced the following day.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Judicial impunity and media complacency towards the radical left have led to this tragedy.” – Marion Marechal MEP.
🎯IMPACT: The death is just the latest act of extreme violence from Antifa terrorists in Europe.
IN FULL
A 23-year-old Frenchman has reportedly died after being severely beaten by Antifa terrorists during a violent confrontation in Lyon on the evening of February 12, according to local reports and messages shared on social media. The incident took place near Sciences Po Lyon in the city’s 7th district, where a conference was being held by Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the ultra-left-wing party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed).
Members of the female-led anti-mass migration activist group Collectif Némésis had gathered outside the venue to protest Hassan’s appearance. Tensions reportedly escalated between them and counter-protesters described as far-left militants. The situation devolved into a street brawl.
Emergency services were called to the scene as multiple people were injured during the clashes. According to initial accounts, a young woman associated with Collectif Némésis was pushed to the ground and assaulted.
During the confrontation, a young man identified locally as “Quentin” was reportedly acting as security for Collectif Némésis. He suffered serious head trauma after being beaten and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Doctors placed him in an induced coma due to a severe brain injury.
Marion Marechal MEP, the niece of French populist leader Marine Le Pen, commented on the incident, saying, “Judicial impunity and media complacency towards the radical left have led to this tragedy. [La France Insoumise] also has blood on its hands when we know its links with these violent groups and its permanent calls for chaos and hatred.”
On February 13, messages circulating on X (formerly Twitter) stated that the young man had died from his injuries. As of the latest official updates, authorities had not issued a detailed public statement confirming the circumstances of his death.
Lyon’s mayor described the event as an “extremely violent brawl” and called for calm while an investigation is underway. Law enforcement officials have opened an inquiry into the incident, including potential charges related to aggravated assault and public disorder. No arrests had been publicly announced so far.
The incident comes just months after President Donald J. Trump declared several European Antifa groups as foreign terrorist organisations. This came after he designated Antifa in the United States a terrorist group as well.
European Antifa groups are known to be highly violent, with one member of the Antifa “Hammer Gang” being sentenced earlier this month for taking part in random, severe beatings of suspected conservatives in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023. The transgender Antifa militant was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison for participating in the beatings, which involved the use of hammers to severely injure multiple people based on whether they appeared to be right-wing.
In a separate case, Antifa terrorists sabotaged critical energy infrastructure in Germany, leaving 45,000 people without power in the middle of winter. The terrorists claimed to be concerned with the climate.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report revealed that the Trump administration has deported hundreds of migrants who could not be sent directly to their homelands to third countries.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, the State Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and foreign governments, including Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, and El Salvador.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The investigation covers deportation practices during the second Trump administration, with payments made to countries in Africa, Central America, and other regions.
🎯IMPACT: While Senate Democrats have played up the costs totals, it is fairly comparable to the cost of illegal immigrants in the Untied Staes for American taxpayers.
IN FULL
A newly released report from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reveals that the Trump administration spent over $32 million on deporting illegal immigrants to third countries, with some costs exceeding $1 million per migrant. The report highlights payments made to foreign governments, including Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, and El Salvador, as part of third-country deportation agreements.
In one case, Rwanda received $7.5 million plus $601,864 in flight costs to accept seven migrants, equating to over $1.1 million per person. Similarly, Equatorial Guinea was paid $7.5 million to accept 29 migrants, costing taxpayers $282,126 per person. Additional payments were made to Palau, Eswatini (Swaziland), and El Salvador.
Despite the apparently high costs, the third-country deportations demonstrate to migrants who frustrate efforts to send them home that they can still be removed from the U.S., to a country not of their choosing. Notably, the investigation found that over 80 percent of illegal immigrants sent to third countries eventually returned to their home nations, suggesting that those claiming they would be in danger in their home nations were being dishonest.
While Congressional Democrats, who largely prepared the report, intended for the data to give the perception of government waste by utilizing third country deportations—or really deportations at all—the cost is comparable to the estimated cost of the illegal immigrants remaining in the United States. Research presented to Congress in 2024 by Steven A. Camarota, the Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), found that the U.S. illegal immigrant population receives around $42 billion in welfare benefits.
Additionally, CIS found that, “Based on average costs per student, the estimated 4 million children of illegal immigrants in public schools created $68.1 billion in costs in 2019.” Meanwhile, illegal immigrants account for about $7 billion in emergency services costs annually.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) announced a $10 million relief fund for businesses supposedly impacted by federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, following ICE operations that detained over 4,000 illegal migrants.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Tim Walz, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, immigrant business owners, and ICE officers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Minneapolis, Minnesota, with recent federal immigration enforcement actions reported in late 2023 and early 2024.
💬KEY QUOTE: “They left us with economic ruin.” – Tim Walz
🎯IMPACT: The policy highlights the overreliance of some businesses on exploiting cheap migrant labor, and the Democrats’ support for such employers.
IN FULL
Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a $10 million state relief package for Minnesota businesses that, he claims, have been hurt by recent federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. The funding, drawn from state taxpayer dollars, is intended to support companies reporting labor shortages and declining customer traffic following stepped-up activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies.
The announcement follows remarks by White House Border Czar Tom Homan, who said ICE operations in the city led to the arrest of more than 4,000 illegal migrants. Walz sharply criticized the federal government’s approach, saying, “They left us with economic ruin.”
The governor said the relief effort will prioritize small businesses, particularly those owned by immigrants. “What can we start doing on the economic recovery, the damage that has been done to our economy, specifically to small business owners, and even more specifically, to immigrant small business owners?” Walz said.
State economic development manager Matt Varilek described the economic impact as significant, citing “massive reductions in foot traffic” and revenue declines in several neighborhoods.
Walz’s announcement comes amid broader political scrutiny. Recent reports have highlighted his support for increasing Somali immigration to Minnesota as the state faces ongoing investigations into alleged fraud connected to the Somali community. Notably, the Trump administration recently halted loans to approximately 7,000 Minnesota borrowers over fraud concerns.
Walz announced he would not seek reelection amid controversy tied to the Somali fraud scandal.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s administration fired Donald T. Kinsella, a U.S. attorney, on the same day he was sworn into the role.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald T. Kinsella, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Morgan DeWitt Snow, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The firing occurred on Wednesday in the Northern District of New York.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, [the President] does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella,” – Todd Blanche.
🎯IMPACT: The firing underscores the constitutional authority of the President to appoint U.S. attorneys and raises questions about judicial appointments to such roles.
IN FULL
Donald T. Kinsella, who was appointed by a panel of judges to serve as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, was fired by the Trump administration on the same day he was sworn into the role. The court says it had exercised its authority under 28 U.S.C. § 546(d) to appoint Kinsella to fill the vacancy.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the firing in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, [the President] does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella.”
In a statement issued Thursday, the court acknowledged Kinsella’s appointment and subsequent removal. “By the end of the day, Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel, Morgan DeWitt Snow, notified Mr. Kinsella that he was removed as the judicially-appointed United States Attorney, without explanation,” the statement read.
Kinsella had been selected to succeed John Sarcone III, who U.S. District Court Judge Lorna Schofield—an Obama appointee—determined to have been serving unlawfully in the role of acting U.S. attorney past the legal 120-day limit. Sarcone had demoted himself to first assistant attorney while awaiting an appeal.
Notably, Judge Schofield’s ruling came amid her attempt to block the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) probe into allegations of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Meanwhile, The National Pulse previously reported last June that Sarcone was attacked by Saul Morales-Garcia, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador with a lengthy criminal record, in Albany. Subsequently, Morales-Garcia was charged with attempted murder.
Notably, at question is the authority granted to the President for appointing U.S. attorneys, as outlined in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose just 2.4 percent in January compared to the same month last year, marking the slowest pace of inflation since May 2025.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. consumers.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: January 2026, with data released Friday, February 13, 2026, following a delayed report due to a recent government shutdown.
🎯IMPACT: Easing inflation may provide some relief to consumers, though many still feel burdened by rising costs of living.
IN FULL
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by just 2.4 percent in January compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. This marks the slowest annual inflation rate since May 2025 and is a decrease from December’s 2.7 percent pace.
Economists polled by FactSet had forecast a 2.5 percent rise in January’s CPI. While food and shelter costs climbed at a faster rate, a 1.5 percent decline in energy prices helped offset the overall inflation rate.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.5 percent over the past 12 months. The CPI measures changes in the cost of a basket of goods and services commonly purchased by consumers, such as food and clothing.
The delayed release of January’s inflation report was due to the recent partial government shutdown.
While inflation continues to ease, the news could throw cold water on hopes that the Federal Reserve will begin a new interest rate-cutting cycle this year after the central bank decided to pause rate cuts in January. Incoming Fed chairman Kevin Warsh is likely to initiate another rate cut or two, but whether the central bank pushes much lower remains to be seen.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Honduran illegal alien rammed a law enforcement vehicle during an arrest attempt, prompting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent to shoot out the suspect’s tires.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, suspect and illegal immigrant Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, and local New Jersey law enforcement.
📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2026, in Roxbury Township, Morris County, New Jersey.
💬KEY QUOTE: “In an attempt to evade arrest, Lopez-Banegas rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.” – Department of Homeland Security spokesman.
🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the increasing violence ICE agents face, with DHS reporting a 3,200 percent rise in vehicle attacks on officers.
IN FULL
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that a Honduran national unlawfully present in the United States, Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, rammed a law enforcement vehicle while agents attempted to arrest him on Tuesday in Roxbury Township, New Jersey. An ICE officer fired his weapon during the encounter, shooting out the suspect’s tires to stop the vehicle. No injuries were reported.
Video from the scene shows a roadside confrontation in which Lopez-Banegas’ pickup truck collided with a law enforcement vehicle. An agent is seen drawing his firearm as the vehicles made contact. The suspect later exited the truck with his hands raised after being ordered to comply.
🚨 WATCH – An CRIMINAL Illegal Alien just tried to EVADE ARREST and RUN OVER an ICE Agent in Roxbury/Hopatcong NJ, forcing the federal agent to SHOOT the tires of the vehicle to stop him!
The suspect, Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, an ILLEGAL Migrant from Honduras, has a LENGTHY… pic.twitter.com/SfPcx9hUNi
“In an attempt to evade arrest, Lopez-Banegas rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman said, adding, “Following his training, the officer defensively used his firearm and shot out the tires of the vehicle to stop the threat. Thankfully, no one was injured. Officers arrested Banegas and took him into ICE custody.”
Federal officials said Lopez-Banegas has prior charges, including drug trafficking, drug possession, and driving under the influence. DHS also stated that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him in 2021.
Acting New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirmed that her office is reviewing the incident. “We are actively investigating an incident involving ICE ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) in which a firearm was discharged in Roxbury Township earlier today. There are no known injuries,” she said.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability are assisting in the investigation. DHS officials said assaults against immigration officers have increased in recent years, including a reported rise in vehicle-related attacks during arrest operations.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: National Guard troops have left Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, ending their deployments in the Democrat-run cities.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, National Guard troops, U.S. military officials, and Democratic city leaders.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Early 2026; Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.
🎯IMPACT: The deployments tested presidential authority and highlighted tensions between federal and state powers over crime and immigration.
IN FULL
The Trump administration has ended the federal deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, according to U.S. military officials, ending months of contentious operations in several Democrat-led cities. The drawdown followed a Pentagon plan initiated late last year, with demobilization taking place throughout January under the direction of U.S. Northern Command. The withdrawal closes a chapter marked by legal disputes and political clashes over President Donald J. Trump’s authority to federalize state National Guard units without a governor’s consent.
In Chicago and Portland, court challenges disrupted troops’ efforts to carry out street-level operations. The Supreme Court blocked the deployment in Chicago, while litigation in Oregon delayed or restricted Guard activity in Portland. An appeals court had earlier ruled that President Donald J. Trump could send National Guard forces into Portland under federal authority, but ongoing court proceedings complicated implementation. In Los Angeles, a federal court halted Trump’s order to deploy the Guard, limiting the overall troop presence there despite the administration’s efforts.
President Trump ordered the federalization of National Guard units in response to protests tied to immigration enforcement actions. The move represented a break from modern precedent, as federalization traditionally occurs at a governor’s request. Critics argued the deployments infringed on state authority, while supporters said the action was necessary to restore order and support local law enforcement.
Although operations in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland have ended, National Guard forces remain active in other areas. In Washington, D.C., where the President has direct authority over the Guard, troops continue to assist with public safety efforts. During the deployment, the D.C. public transit system reported its lowest crime rate in 25 years, a development officials linked in part to the Guard’s presence.
National Guard missions are also ongoing in cities such as New Orleans and Memphis, where Republican governors supported federal involvement.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congressional members are distancing themselves from a letter supporting Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy’s plan to protect his media empire.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chris Ruddy, President Trump, and various Congressional members.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The original letter was published in December; recent distancing occurred following Trump’s Truth Social post last week.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I can’t imagine anyone would want to stay on [as a signatory].” – Congressional member.
🎯IMPACT: Members are requesting their names be removed from the letter, and Ruddy’s stance is unpopular with the public.
IN FULL
Top television executive and Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy suffered fresh humiliation this week as it transpired that Congressional members who had originally signed a December letter backing a plan to protect his Newsmax empire were now distancing themselves from the position.
“I can’t imagine anyone would want to stay on [as a signatory],” one Congress member told The National Pulse, after President Trump directly rejected Ruddy’s entreaties in a Truth Social post from last week.
Newsmax had published a draft of the letter in December, claiming that 40 Republicans backed Ruddy’s plan to keep stifling government regulations on TV broadcasters, in his attempt to avoid competition in the marketplace.
“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” Trump wrote last week, concluding “GET THAT DEAL DONE!” in reference to the Nexstar-Tegna merger, which Ruddy has publicly opposed and personally lobbied the President and Congressional members over.
“The letter is from December, during which time Ruddy visited dozens of Members asking for a signature,” a Congressional source told The National Pulse, adding that Members were now requesting their names be removed. But Ruddy’s Newsmax has not altered or updated its story, nor has it amended the letter to reflect these changes.
Recent data from Trump’s pollster shows Ruddy’s position, explained in detail here, is fundamentally unpopular with the American public, who value competition and options.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New charges have been filed against an illegal immigrant soccer coach in Southern California who is accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old player, with the suspect now potentially facing the death penalty.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, and the victim, 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in March 2025, with additional charges filed in February 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “13-year-old Oscar ‘Omar’ Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country.” – Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
🎯IMPACT: Garcia-Aquino faces new charges, heightening the severity of his legal situation, while awaiting a hearing to determine if the case will go to trial.
IN FULL
Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, a 44-year-old illegal alien youth soccer coach in Southern California, is facing additional criminal charges and could be eligible for the death penalty in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez, prosecutors said. The National Pulse reported last June that Garcia-Aquino was previously charged with murder with special circumstances in the March 2025 killing of Hernandez.
Prosecutors allege the boy left his Sun Valley, California, residence to meet Garcia-Aquino, who ran a youth soccer club where Hernandez played. Later, Hernandez’s body was found along a roadside near McGrath State Beach in Oxnard, days after he was reported missing from his home.
“13-year-old Oscar ‘Omar’ Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said at the time of Garcia-Aquino’s arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
This week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed nine additional sex-related felony counts against Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, involving a separate alleged victim. The new charges include eight counts of sodomy of a person under 16 and one count of oral copulation of a person under 16, stemming from alleged incidents between 2022 and 2023, according to court records.
Authorities allege Garcia-Aquino sexually assaulted and killed Hernandez before discarding his body. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in custody without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27, 2026, at which a judge will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. In addition to the murder and new sex-related charges, Garcia-Aquino faces other unrelated felony allegations from 2022 and 2024 involving separate alleged victims.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: An 18-year-old, Jesse Van Rootselaar, carried out a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, killing six people and injuring 25 others before taking his own life. The decision by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to identify Van Rootselaar as “female,” despite being a biological male, has drawn public backlash.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jesse Van Rootselaar, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and victims, including students and staff at the school.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media.” — Dwayne McDonald, Deputy Commissioner of British Columbia RCMP
🎯IMPACT: The tragedy has sparked outrage, with criticism directed at the RCMP’s focus on the shooter’s pronouns over the victims.
IN FULL
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has faced criticism over its choice of language when describing Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old male responsible for the deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Canadian law enforcement initially described the shooter as “female,” but later as a “gunperson,” raising suspicions—now confirmed—that he was actually a male transgender.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald defended the decision to claim that the suspect was “female,” arguing, “We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media.” The male suspect self-identified as female about six years ago.
On February 10, Van Rootselaar killed his mother, Jennifer, 39, and 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett, at their family home before heading to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. There, the suspect opened fire, killing a teacher and five students, three girls and two boys, aged 12 to 17, before dying by suicide. At least 27 others were injured, including 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was left in critical condition.
Van Rootselaar, a former Tumbler Ridge student who dropped out about four years ago, had a history of mental health issues and prior police interactions, including apprehensions for assessment. Family firearms seized under mental health provisions had been returned.
The shooting has drawn comparisons to law enforcement’s handling of other recent transgender shootings. These include Audrey Hale, a biologically female transgender who killed six at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, in March 2023. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents from late 2025 revealed Hale’s writings expressing hatred toward white people and religion, describing the target as a “predominantly white school (white pple I hate)” and a “Christian school (hate religion).”
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