A mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in the remote community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, left nine people dead and at least 25 injured on Tuesday, in one of Canada’s deadliest school-related attacks in decades. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed deep heartbreak as authorities work to piece together what happened and why.
Police received reports of an active shooter at the secondary school around 1:20 p.m. local time. Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers entered the building and found multiple victims, later confirming six people dead inside the school and one more who died while being transported to hospital. Two additional deaths were recorded at a nearby home believed to be tied to the incident. An individual believed to be the shooter was found dead at the school from an apparent self-inflicted injury, police said.
At least 25 other people were treated for injuries, with two airlifted to larger hospitals with what authorities described as serious or life-threatening wounds. Several dozen others were assessed and treated at a local medical centre for non-life-threatening injuries.
The shooter and victims’ identities have not been publicly released, and police say the motive behind the attack remains unclear as the RCMP Major Crime Section leads the investigation. Authorities believe there are no ongoing threats to the public following the cancellation of a community-wide shelter-in-place alert late Tuesday evening.
Tumbler Ridge, a tight-knit town of about 2,400 people nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, is grieving as family members and neighbours struggle to come to terms with the violence. Schools in the area, including the secondary school and Tumbler Ridge Elementary, are closed for the rest of the week as community support services mobilize.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who suspended planned travel abroad, called the shootings “horrific” and shared his condolences to families of the victims and all those affected by the violence. British Columbia Premier David Eby also spoke about the profound impact on residents and pledged support for the community in the days ahead.
Gun violence and school shootings are rare in Canada, which has strict firearms regulations compared with some other countries. But this tragedy has reignited national conversations about safety, community support and how such an attack could occur in a small town school.