Ten Dead After Female Shooter Attacks Canadian High School
Synopsis
A tranquil mountain town in British Columbia has been ripped apart by the deadliest school shooting in modern Canadian history. A shooter killed at least nine people on Tuesday afternoon in an attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby home. Dozens more were injured and the community was reeling Thursday as investigators looked into what prompted the deadly attack. As the country grieves, officials describe this as a “devastating and unimaginable” event that has permanently altered the tight-knit town of Tumbler Ridge.
The peaceful mountain town of Tumbler Ridge was rocked by tragedy Tuesday afternoon after a devastating Canada shooting that claimed the lives of at least nine people. Police received reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shortly after 1:20 p.m., and found a scene of unimaginable heartbreak, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. The violence that also spread to a neighbouring home in this small community was recorded as one of the deadliest mass casualty events in the nation’s recent history.
Six bodies were discovered at the school building and a seventh victim died while being taken to the hospital, officials confirmed. As the investigation continued, officers found two more bodies at a home that they believe is related to the incident. In all, the Canada shooting has taken nine lives, not including the suspect who was found dead on the school campus.
Violence Shakes Tumbler Ridge BC
The fallout from this incident is profound in a town like Tumbler Ridge BC, with a population of less than 2,400 people. An emergency alert went out to cellphones across the area during the chaotic aftermath, with the suspect described as a woman with brown hair in a dress. Students at the secondary school, for students in grades 7 through 12, were kept in hiding under desks and in closets as the shooter made his way down the hallways.
RCMP located the suspect dead due to what they believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police have also identified the shooter, though her name and age were not disclosed. Investigators are piecing together how the shooter knew the victims, both at the school and at his own home.
The Jolt of a British Columbia Tragedy
By all accounts, this mass shooting has rocked the province of British Columbia, where mass shootings are exceedingly rare. In addition to the dead, 25 people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local medical centre, and two others with critical wounds were airlifted to a larger hospital. It’s a “desperate and unimaginable tragedy” for the entire province, Premier David Eby said.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada, a result of strict gun control including bans on certain types of high-capacity weapons often used in such attacks elsewhere. The town of Tumbler Ridge, built to create homes for coal miners, is now getting “multiple layers” of mental health and police support as it starts the long road to recovery.
Deadliest Canada School Shooting in Decades
This is the worst Canadian school shooting since the Montreal massacre in 1989. The local school district said both the secondary and elementary schools in Tumbler Ridge will be closed for the rest of the week to provide families with time to grieve and remain together.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and other national officials have conveyed their condolences, pledging that every resource will be brought to bear for the survivors. While the police search additional locations for evidence, the most important work is supporting the families who lost their loved ones in this heinous act of violence.
Key Highlights
- Nine people died in shootings at a high school and a house in Tumbler Ridge.
- The female suspect was discovered at the school dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- 25 people were wounded; two victims are in critical condition.
- It was the worst school shooting in Canada in more than 30 years.
- Operation Broadstaff and other local auxiliary teams are working in support of the community.
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