Police inside Canada A mass shooting at a high school in northern British Columbia has left 10 people dead, including the suspect.
More than two dozen victims were hospitalized in what Premier David Eby called an “unimaginable tragedy” that was one of the worst of its kind in Canadian history.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the shooting.
“Today I join Canadians grieving with those whose lives have been irrevocably changed and are grateful for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who put their lives on the line to save their fellow citizens,” he said. “Our nation’s best is our ability to come together in crisis – our empathy, our unity and our compassion for one another.”
At a media conference, police said six people were killed at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Another person died en route to hospital, while two others died in the town of less than 2,500. Police said the suspect died of self-inflicted injuries.
The District of Tumbler Ridge released a statement Tuesday afternoon, calling the shooting a “deeply distressing” incident.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected, and we recognize that many residents are shocked, scared and overwhelmed,” the district said. “In the coming days, we know this will be difficult for many to process. Please check in with each other, lean on the supports available, and know that Tumbler Ridge is a strong and caring community. We will get through this together.”
Students attend the school from 7th to 12th standard. Both secondary and elementary will be closed for the rest of the week.
“There are no words to ease the fear and pain that incidents like this cause in the school community,” the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council said in a statement. “We want families to know that the safety and well-being of students and staff is of the utmost importance, and we are grateful to the first responders and emergency personnel who acted quickly and professionally.”
British Columbia’s Minister of Public Safety, Nina Krieger, Said Shooting “Sen[t] Shock waves through the community and the entire province”.
Police first issued an emergency alert on Tuesday afternoon Active shooter There were reports of a shooting at a secondary school.
Alert residents were told to take shelter, lock their doors and avoid going out. According to the alert, the suspect is described as a woman in clothing with brown hair. The RCMP alert was lifted at 5:45 p.m.
RCMP North District Commander Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters the shooting scene was “very dramatic” with extensive injuries. About 100 remaining students and staff at the secondary school were safely evacuated from the school, he said.
Police have identified the shooter but declined to provide additional details, citing both confidentiality and the need to protect the integrity of the investigation. Floyd said police would not comment on a possible motive.
“We’re following all leads to determine a connection to the shooter,” Floyd said. “I think we’ll struggle to figure out the ‘why,’ but we’ll try our best to figure out what happened.”
The town’s health center has been placed under Code Orange, indicating a mass-casualty incident or large-scale emergency response. But given the rural nature of the community, at least two victims were airlifted to major hospitals. Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) said it requested one of its aircraft from Grande Prairie, Alberta, for the incident.
Even with the scant information provided by police, the shootings were among the worst in Canadian history. Because of Canada’s strict gun laws, which make it difficult to own either handguns or ‘assault-style weapons’, the country has experienced far less mass violence than the United States. However, it was the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. In 1989, a gunman killed 14 students at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in an attack targeting women. In 2016, five people died in a series in La Loche, Saskatchewan.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who have lost loved ones at Tumbler Ridge tonight,” Eby said in a statement. “The government will ensure every possible support to community members in the coming days as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy.”
