Nine people have died, including the suspect, after a mass shooting at a high school and a residence in the remote town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. More than 25 others were injured, with two in a life-threatening condition, in what is being described as one of the deadliest such attacks in Canadian history.
Police discovered six bodies inside the secondary school and two at a nearby residence believed to be linked to the incident. The suspected shooter, described as a female in a dress with brown hair, was found dead at the school from an apparent self-inflicted injury. Another victim initially thought to have died en route to hospital has since been confirmed alive but remains in critical condition.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was 'devastated' and suspended plans to travel to Germany for the Munich security conference. 'Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country – our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other,' he said. British Columbia Premier David Eby called it an 'unimaginable tragedy'.
The Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has 160 students aged roughly 12 to 18, will remain closed for the rest of the week. The District of Tumbler Ridge, a community of fewer than 2,500, issued a statement acknowledging the shock and distress. Police said they responded within two minutes of the emergency call and that all remaining students and staff had been safely evacuated.
Police Supt Ken Floyd confirmed that the suspect matched the description in the active-shooter alert and that investigators are working to establish a motive. 'We will struggle to determine the why, but we will try our best to determine what transpired,' he said. The scene was described as 'very dramatic' with extensive injuries.
