Deadly School Shooting in Canada Leaves Ten Dead, Over 25 Wounded
A tragic school shooting in northern British Columbia has left ten people dead and more than 25 wounded, marking Canada's deadliest rampage since 2020. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, with authorities responding swiftly to the scene.
Details of the Shooting Incident
Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported that officers arrived at the school within two minutes of the alert. At the scene, they discovered six individuals deceased and more than 25 wounded, two of whom were in life-threatening condition. A seventh victim succumbed to injuries while being transported to a hospital. In a related development, two additional bodies were found at a nearby residence believed to be connected to the attack. The suspected shooter, identified as a female, was also found dead from an apparent self-inflicted injury.
Video footage from the scene depicted students exiting the school with their hands raised as police vehicles encircled the building and a helicopter hovered overhead. The community of Tumbler Ridge, with a population of approximately 2,700, is located in the Canadian Rockies, over 1,000 kilometers northeast of Vancouver near the Alberta border. Tumbler Ridge Secondary School serves 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
Community and Official Responses
Mayor Darryl Krakowka expressed profound grief, describing the close-knit community as a "big family." He stated, "I broke down. I have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every one of the victims." Investigators have not released the name of the female suspect, and the motive remains unclear as police continue to probe the connection between the shooter and the victims.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended a planned trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Munich, Germany, in response to the tragedy. In a social media post, he conveyed his devastation, writing, "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."
Canada's Strict Gun Control Measures
This incident has brought renewed attention to Canada's stringent gun laws, which have been strengthened in response to previous mass shootings. Since May 2020, the government has banned over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms. A national freeze on the sale and purchase of handguns took effect in October 2022.
As part of ongoing efforts, more than 12,000 assault-style weapons were collected and destroyed through a compensation program for businesses that operated between November 2024 and April 2025. A similar program for individuals opened recently, offering compensation to gun owners who voluntarily surrender banned weapons by March 31. Those who do not participate must dispose of or permanently deactivate their prohibited firearms before an amnesty period concludes on October 30.
This shooting represents the deadliest such event in Canada since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that resulted in nine additional deaths. The community of Tumbler Ridge and the nation at large are now grappling with the aftermath of this devastating attack.
