A peaceful mining community in Canada’s British Columbia province was torn apart by a mass shooting at a high school in Tumbler Ridge, resulting in nine fatalities including the perpetrator who died by suicide. This tragic event has ignited national mourning and calls for reflection on gun violence in the country.
According to RCMP Northern District Superintendent Ken Floyd, the shooter entered the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, fatally shooting seven people. Two additional bodies were found in a house close by, confirming the incidents’ connection. The suspect, matching descriptions of a brown-haired woman in a dress from an active shooter alert, was discovered dead inside the school.
In a late-night virtual briefing, Floyd assured the public that all students and staff—around 100 in total—were accounted for and unharmed beyond the victims. Emergency services airlifted two critically injured survivors to advanced care facilities, while 25 others received treatment locally.
Prime Minister Mark Carney took to X to voice his heartbreak, denouncing the ‘atrocious violence.’ Premier David Eby described the loss as ‘incomprehensible,’ vowing comprehensive aid from provincial resources.
The motive for the rampage is still under investigation, with police withholding details on the shooter’s age or student status due to privacy concerns. This small town of 2,400, famous for its paleontological treasures like dinosaur tracks, now faces a dark chapter in its history.
Such大规模 shootings are exceedingly rare in Canada. Comparisons are drawn to the École Polytechnique attack in 1989 and the 2020 Nova Scotia killings, underscoring the anomaly of this violence. Community leaders urge unity as forensic teams piece together the timeline, seeking to prevent future tragedies.