Nine people were killed in a mass shooting in a remote western Canadian town on Tuesday, including seven victims at a secondary school, before the suspected gunman died from what authorities believe was a self-inflicted injury.
The attack unfolded in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — a small mountain community nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), 27 others were injured, two critically and 25 with non-life-threatening wounds.
Police said they received reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon. Upon entering the building, officers discovered six people dead from gunshot wounds. A seventh victim later died while being transported to hospital.
In a separate but related development, two additional bodies were found at a nearby residence that authorities believe is connected to the shooting.
At the school, officers also found the suspected shooter dead, apparently from a self-inflicted injury. While Canadian media identified the suspect as a woman, the RCMP declined to release details about the individual’s identity during a press conference.
The municipality of Tumbler Ridge expressed profound grief in a statement, saying: “There are no words sufficient for the heartbreak our community is experiencing tonight.”
Students described chaotic and frightening scenes. Darian Quist told CBC he was in mechanics class when the school announced a lockdown. At first, he did not realize the seriousness of the situation, but soon began receiving “disturbing” images from inside the school.
“That’s when it set in what was happening,” he said.
Quist and his classmates remained in lockdown for more than two hours until police entered the room, instructing everyone to raise their hands before escorting them out.
His mother, Shelley Quist, said she held her son tightly once authorities declared the area safe. “He’s not going to be out of my sight for a while now,” she told CBC.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the “horrific” violence, offering prayers and condolences to the victims’ families.
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the tragedy as “unimaginable,” while federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre condemned it as a “senseless act of violence.”
RCMP northern district commander Ken Floyd called it a “rapidly evolving and dynamic situation,” adding that investigators were continuing to search other homes and properties for possible links to the attack.
Mass shootings are rare in Canada, though the country was shaken in April when 11 people were killed in a vehicle attack at a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver.
Tumbler Ridge, home to about 2,400 residents, lies more than 1,100 kilometres north of Vancouver. In a statement, the municipality said the community was “devastated by the loss of life and the profound impact this tragedy has had on families, students, staff, and our entire town.”