A remote northern British Columbia community is mourning after a deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School left seven people dead, with two more found dead at a nearby home, and the suspected shooter also dead, according to Canadian authorities. Police believe the shooter was a woman, found with what investigators described as an apparent self-inflicted injury.
The RCMP said more than 25 people were wounded, including two people airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries. British Columbia Premier David Eby said officers reached the school within two minutes. Video from the scene showed students leaving the building with their hands raised as police vehicles surrounded the school and a helicopter circled overhead.
Investigators have not released the suspect’s name, and police said the motive remains unclear as they work to confirm the connection between the shooter and victims. In a town of roughly 2,700 people, the shock is deeply personal. Mayor Darryl Krakowka described the community as a “big family,” saying he likely knew many of those affected. Local faith leaders and counselors gathered at a recreation centre where families waited for news—an agonizing process made harder by the time required to notify next of kin.
The school district said Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and the elementary school will be closed for the rest of the week. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was devastated by the attack and praised first responders, while his office said he was suspending planned travel in the wake of the tragedy.
School shootings are rare in Canada, and the incident has revived grief and debate around public safety and gun control—while, in Tumbler Ridge, the more immediate reality is heartbreak, waiting, and a community trying to hold itself together.
