(Image source from: Aljazeera.com)
Police reported that a shooting at a school in British Columbia, Canada, on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of ten individuals, including the shooter, and injuries to at least 25 others. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated that the female suspect, previously described as having brown hair and wearing a dress, was discovered dead inside the school, seemingly from a self-inflicted wound. According to authorities, six people died at the school, one passed away en route to the hospital, and two others were found dead at a local home. Two individuals with severe or critical injuries were flown to the hospital. The Tumbler Ridge police issued an alert at 2 p.m., following the 1:20 p.m. local time incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, identifying the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair, as reported by Globe and Mail. Residents were advised to stay indoors, lock their doors, and avoid going outside. The order to shelter in place was lifted approximately five hours later, allowing people to resume their normal routines.
Police are still investigating whether another suspect was involved and the total number of victims.
Help is being sent from nearby regions. The school will stay shut for the rest of this week. Ken Floyd, the head superintendent for the RCMP's North District, stated that roughly 100 individuals, including both employees and pupils, were safely removed from the building. He also mentioned that the police still don't know why the shooting happened. Floyd commented, "Our students, teachers, and the Tumbler Ridge community will receive many levels of assistance." Afterward, a ninth-grade student informed Global News that he and other children had to hide in a classroom closet during the event. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed on social media that he was deeply saddened by the shooting in Tumbler Ridge. He wrote, "I share in the sorrow of Canadians whose lives have been permanently altered today, and I am thankful for the bravery and selflessness of the first responders who endangered themselves to keep their fellow citizens safe."
Larry Neufeld, the representative for Peace River South, informed journalists at the legislature that a large amount of help, such as police and ambulance services, has been sent to the area. He shared on social media, "I am thinking of the students, families, teachers, and everyone in Tumbler Ridge. This is a small, connected town, and an event like this affects everyone deeply." British Columbia's leader, David Eby, promised the community all the government help they could get. He wrote, "Our thoughts are with Tumbler Ridge tonight, with the families who have lost people they love." According to the provincial government's website, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School has 175 students from seventh to twelfth grade.
In response to past mass shootings, the Canadian government has put in place stricter gun laws, including a recent expansion of the ban on all firearms it classifies as assault weapons. The shootings on Tuesday were the worst violent attack in Canada since 2020, when a shooter in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and started fires that caused 9 more deaths.
