Everything we know about the Tumbler Ridge shooting in Canada
A small Canadian town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is reeling after a woman opened fire in a secondary school and a nearby home.
The town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is home to around 2,400 people and is now the centre of the worst mass school shooting in Canadian history.
Ten people, including the suspected shooter, are dead, with 25 others injured, including two who were airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified a female suspect but would not release a name, and that the shooter’s motive remained unclear.
‘We are not in a position to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy,’ Floyd said.
Here’s all we know about how the shooting unfolded.
Police were called to the school around 1pm
Around 1.20pm yesterday afternoon, local police received a call about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
The school has around 160 students between the ages of 12 and 18.
Air ambulances were dispatched from Grand Prairie, Alberta, roughly 140 kilometres away.
All roads around the school were blocked off as police worked to reach the scene and evacuate other students.
10 confirmed dead, including the shooter
Police confirmed 10 people, including the suspected shooter, were killed.
Seven victims were found inside the high school, and another died on the way to the hospital.
It hasn’t been confirmed if those dead are children or adults, and police warned not to speculate on that information.
‘An individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self-inflicted injury,’ the police said.
Two more were found dead at a home police believe to be connected to the attack.
What do we know about the shooter?
An emergency alert was sent to phones in the region, describing the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair.
The suspect has since been found dead, and it remains unclear how the victims are connected to her.
Police said more information will be released in time.
What have politicians said?
Tumbler Ridge mayor Darryl Krakowka said the whole community is grieving.
When he learned how many died, he told reporters: ‘I broke down. It’s devastating. I have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every one of the victims.’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement on social media that he was devastated by the shooting in Tumbler Ridge.
‘I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,’ he wrote.
Where is Tumbler Ridge?
Tumbler Ridge is a small town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Surrounded by wilderness, the town has a population of just under 3,000 and was originally built to support the coal industry.
What are Canada’s gun laws?
Canada’s government has responded to previous mass shootings with gun control measures, including a recently broadened ban on all guns it considers assault weapons.
All firearms owners are required to have a firearms license and undergo safety training and background checks.
British Columbia is one of the top four Canadian provinces for licensed gun owners, with around 350,000 residents having permits.
Tuesday’s shootings were Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left another nine dead.
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