A rural mountain town in northeastern British Columbia has been rocked by one of Canada’s deadliest school shootings in decades, leaving at least nine people dead, including victims at a local high school and a nearby residence. Authorities responded to reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday local time, discovering six people dead at the scene and dozens injured. Another victim later died while being transported to hospital, and two more were found dead at a residence connected to the incident.
Police said the suspected shooter, a brown-haired woman wearing a dress, was found deceased on the school grounds with an apparent self-inflicted injury. Two victims with life-threatening injuries were airlifted to hospital, while about 25 others with non-critical injuries received treatment at a local medical centre. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and authorities are still investigating the shooter’s background and connections to the victims.
Tumbler Ridge, a tight-knit community of roughly 2,400 residents at the base of the Rocky Mountains, has been left in shock. Local schools, including the secondary and elementary campuses, will remain closed for the rest of the week. Police confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public, lifting a shelter-in-place advisory later Tuesday evening.
Mass shootings of this scale are extremely rare in Canada, which has stricter gun regulations than the United States. The last major school shooting of similar magnitude occurred in 1989 at École Polytechnique in Montréal. Assault-style rifles, commonly linked to mass shootings elsewhere, are illegal to purchase in Canada.
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the attack as a “devastating and unimaginable tragedy,” while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney extended his “prayers and deepest condolences” to the families affected. Local MP Larry Neufeld highlighted the impact on the close-knit community, urging residents to support one another through the crisis.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting, including the victims’ identities and any possible connections to the suspect, as the town grapples with the aftermath of the horrific incident.
