A deadly shooting at a secondary school and nearby residence in the remote mountain town of Tumbler Ridge left nine people dead and 27 others injured on Tuesday, Canadian authorities confirmed.
Among the injured, two sustained serious wounds, while the rest suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.
Police reported that the shooter, whose identity has not been officially released, died from a self-inflicted injury. While some Canadian media outlets suggested the suspect was female, the RCMP declined to provide further details.
The attack began at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in the afternoon, triggering an active shooter alert. Police discovered six people shot dead inside the school, and a seventh victim died while being transported to the hospital.
Authorities later found two additional bodies at a nearby residence, which they said is “believed to be connected to the incident.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his heartbreak over the tragedy, describing it as a “horrific act of violence.” He also announced that he would suspend his plans to attend the Munich Security Conference, where he had been scheduled to discuss transatlantic defence readiness.
The tight-knit town, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, is struggling to come to terms with the violence.
In a statement, the municipality said: “There are no words sufficient for the heartbreak our community is experiencing tonight.”
Students and families described tense and frightening moments as the events unfolded. Darian Quist, a student at the school, told CBC he was in his mechanics class when the lockdown announcement was made.
“At first, I didn’t think anything was going on,” Quist said, “but then I started receiving disturbing photos about the carnage at the school. It set in what was happening.”
Quist remained in lockdown for over two hours until police entered the school, instructing students to raise their hands before safely escorting them out. His mother, Shelley Quist, said she was relieved to finally embrace her son.
“He’s not going to be out of my sight for a while now,” she told CBC.
Trent Ernst, a local journalist and former substitute teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, described the town as shocked but resilient.
“There’s been troubled kids here in town before,” he said, noting that one of his own children recently graduated from the school.
Authorities have yet to release the ages of the victims or further details about the shooter as the investigation continues.
