- RCMP responded to reports of gunfire at around 1:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday
- When they arrived at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, they discovered six victims dead
- Officials have identified the suspect but are withholding further details for privacy reasons
At least nine people have died following a shooting at a secondary school and a nearby home in Tumbler Ridge, a small mountain community in northeastern British Columbia, marking one of the deadliest school-related attacks in Canada in decades.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to reports of gunfire at around 1:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
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When they arrived at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, they discovered six victims dead and dozens of others injured. One more person later died while being taken to the hospital.
Police also located two additional bodies at a residence believed to be connected to the incident.
The suspected attacker was found dead inside the school with what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted wound. An emergency alert sent to residents earlier in the day described the suspect as a brown-haired woman wearing a dress.
Two individuals with critical injuries were airlifted to the hospital, while about 25 others suffering non-life-threatening injuries were treated at a local medical facility.
Investigators say the motive remains unknown. Superintendent Ken Floyd, commander of the RCMP’s North District, told reporters that authorities are still working to piece together what happened.
“We are not yet in a position to understand what led to this tragedy,” Floyd said, adding that determining the reason behind the attack may prove difficult.
Officials have identified the suspect but are withholding further details for privacy reasons. They have not confirmed how many of those killed were students or what connection, if any, the victims had to the attacker.
Tumbler Ridge, home to roughly 2,400 residents, sits at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, about 680 kilometers from the United States border. Authorities have since lifted an earlier shelter-in-place order and say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Incidents of this magnitude are rare in Canada, which enforces significantly stricter firearm regulations than the United States. Large-scale school shootings are particularly uncommon.
The 1989 massacre at Montréal’s École Polytechnique, where 14 women were killed, remains one of the most infamous cases in the country’s history and led to tighter gun control measures nationwide. Assault-style rifles are prohibited for purchase in Canada.
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s violence, both Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and the local elementary school will remain closed for the rest of the week, according to the school district.
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the attack as “devastating and unimaginable,” saying the tragedy has shaken not only the town but the entire province.
Local Member of Parliament Larry Neufeld called the shooting “tragic and deeply disturbing,” noting that in a close-knit community like Tumbler Ridge, the impact will be widespread.
Prime Minister Mark Carney also extended condolences, offering prayers and sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives
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