Ten killed in mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge School in northeastern British Columbia

VICTORIA (Canada), Feb 10 (INS): Ten people were killed and 25 others injured in a mass shooting at a school and a nearby residence in Tumbler Ridge, a district municipality located in the Peace River Regional District of northeastern British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday afternoon. The victims included both students and adults. The motive is not known.

Six people were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge elementary and secondary school, one person died on the way to the hospital and two more were found dead inside a residence. The suspect, said to be a female student of 15 years, was also found dead with a self‑inflicted injury.

The school will remain closed for the rest of the week.

The police said that “we believe we’ve been able to identify the shooter” but did not release the details.

The devastating shooting has sent shockwaves through the community and prompting urgent calls for action on public safety.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he joins in "grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today." He cancelled his upcoming trip to the Munich security conference in Germany due to the tragedy.

Police said emergency calls began flooding in shortly after 2:30 p.m., reporting gunfire at a secondary school in the city’s central district.

Responding officers found multiple victims inside classrooms and corridors. Within minutes, a second scene was identified at a residence less than a kilometer away, where additional casualties were discovered. Investigators believe the two incidents are connected, though the precise motive remains unclear.

Victoria Police Chief Sarah McIntyre described the events as “an unprecedented tragedy for our city,” noting that officers confronted chaos upon arrival. “Our first priority was to secure the school and ensure the safety of surviving students and staff,” she said at an evening press briefing. “We can confirm ten fatalities across both sites. Several others remain hospitalized with serious injuries.”

Witnesses recounted scenes of panic as students fled classrooms and parents rushed to the school grounds. “We heard loud bangs, and the teachers told us to hide,” said one student, who was later escorted out by police. “Everyone was crying and trying to call their families.”

Authorities have not released the identity of the suspected shooter but confirmed that one individual is in custody. Police are working to determine whether the suspect acted alone and are examining possible links between the victims at the residence and those at the school.

British Columbia Premier David Eby issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the victims and pledging full support for the investigation.

“This is a heartbreaking day for Victoria and for our province. We stand with the families, the survivors, and the entire community as they grapple with this senseless act of violence,” he said.

Gun violence in Canada

The incident has reignited debate over gun violence in Canada, where mass shootings are relatively rare but have left lasting scars in communities. Federal officials indicated that they are monitoring the situation closely and will coordinate with provincial authorities on both the investigation and support for victims.

Counselling services have been set up for students, staff, and families affected by the tragedy. Local churches and community centers opened their doors Tuesday evening to provide shelter and emotional support. Flags across Victoria were lowered to half-mast as residents gathered for vigils, lighting candles and laying flowers outside the school.

Background: The shooting is one of the worst in Canadian history. Because of Canada’s strict gun laws, which make it difficult to own both handguns or “assault-style weapons”, the country has experienced far fewer instances of mass violence compared with the United States. Still, the shooting is the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. In 1989, a gunman killed 14 students at Montreal’s L’Ecole Polytechnique in an attack that targeted women. In 2016, five people were killed in a series in La Loche, Saskatchewan. -The Guardian.

Correction: Tumbler Ridge is not in Victoria. It is a district municipality located in the Peace River Regional District of northeastern British Columbia, Canada.