Ten people, including the suspected gunman, are dead following a mass shooting in the small community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in what authorities say is one of the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history.
According to the RCMP, nine victims were killed in a series of shootings that unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence. The suspect was also found dead inside the school from what police described as a self-inflicted injury.
Police said six victims were discovered inside the secondary school. One person died while being transported to hospital, and two others were found dead at a home in the community. The exact ages and identities of the victims have not yet been released, and investigators declined to say how many were children or adults, according to international news agencies.
An active shooter alert was issued earlier in the day, prompting a shelter-in-place order for Tumbler Ridge and surrounding areas. That order has since been lifted as police confirmed the threat had ended with the suspect’s death.
Authorities believe they have identified the shooter but are withholding details, citing privacy laws and the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Officers acknowledged that while they are working to piece together what happened, determining a motive may prove extremely difficult.
“This is a devastating day,” officials said during a police update, adding that investigators are following all leads to understand the connection between the suspect and the victims.
The tragedy has shaken the tight-knit community, where residents say nearly everyone knows each other. Mayor Darryl Krakowka said the loss is deeply personal.
“I will know every victim. I’ve been here 19 years, and we’re a small community,” he said, describing residents not just as neighbours, but as family.
Schools in the area have been closed for the remainder of the week, with additional counselling and support services being arranged for students, staff and families.
Leaders across the country expressed condolences as news of the shooting spread. British Columbia Premier David Eby said the province would ensure support for the community in the days ahead, calling the event an “unimaginable tragedy.”
School shootings are rare in Canada. This incident is considered the second-deadliest school shooting in the country’s history, after the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, which left 14 people dead.
As the investigation continues, police say more information will be released in the coming days, while a grieving community begins to come to terms with the scale of the loss.
