At least 10 people, including a suspected shooter, are dead after a woman opened fire at a high school in the northeast part of the province of British Columbia, Canada, according to police.
A total of eight people were found inside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, including the suspected shooter, as well as two at a connected residence, officials said.
Authorities said the suspected shooter appeared to have died from a self inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
Another 25 people are being evaluated for injuries at a local medical center, with two of those injuries being life-threatening.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that officials who identified the shooter are not disclosing the name at this time and the suspect’s motive remains unclear.
‘I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why’, but we will try our best to determine what transpired,’ Floyd said at a press conference.
The superintendent did confirm that the suspect found dead at the school is the same person described as a woman in a dress with brown hair in the active shooter alert sent out earlier today.
‘Officers are conducting further searches of additional homes and properties to determine whether anyone else may be injured or otherwise linked to today’s events,’ officials said.
A total of six victims were found inside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, two at a connected residence, and another died while being transported to a hospital, Royal Mountain police said on February 10
Officials said that the suspected female shooter appeared to have died from a self inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Another 25 people are being evaluated for injuries at a local medical center, with two of those injuries being life-threatening
Solicitor General Nina Krieger said during a news conference following the tragedy that officials quick response to the scene saved lives.
The District of Tumbler Ridge said in a statement that their community experienced a distressing incident: ‘Our hearts are with all those affected, and we recognize that many residents may be feeling shocked, scared, and overwhelmed.’
The district noted that both Tumbler Ridge secondary and elementary schools will be closed for the rest of the week.
Tumbler Ridge is a district municipality of roughly 2,400 people, about 736 miles north of Vancouver.
The secondary school enrolls 175 students from grades 7 to 12, according to a provincial government listing.
An earlier emergency alert asking the public to shelter in place was lifted at 5.45pm local time.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Tumbler Ridge Secondary School for comment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement following the tragedy: ‘I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd confirmed that the suspect found dead at the school is the same person described as a woman in a dress with brown hair in the active shooter alert sent out earlier today
The district noted that both Tumbler Ridge secondary and elementary schools will be closed for the rest of the week due to the incident
‘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.
‘Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country — our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other.’
‘I have connected with Premier Eby to express my condolences, and with the Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, who is coordinating the federal response.’
‘Our officials are in close contact with their counterparts to ensure the community is fully supported as best we can. The Government of Canada stands with all British Columbians as they confront this horrible tragedy.’
Additionally, David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, also wrote on X that he is grieving for the people Tumbler Ridge.
‘Government will ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days, as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy,’ Eby added.
David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, was alongside Solicitor General Nina Krieger during a news conference following the tragedy
Krieger said during the conference that officers quick response to the scene saved lives. She added that the education ministry staff are sending trauma-informed counsellors to the area to support kids and their families
The Premier said that he spoke with Carney and RCMP leadership as he reiterated the number of victims.
Eby noted he wants British Columbians and Canadians to support the people of Tumbler Ridge with love as they deal with the tragedy.
‘This is something that will reverberate for years to come,’ he said.
Eby was stunned for a moment when asked during a news conference alongside Solicitor General Nina Krieger about what he’d say to parents afraid to send their children to school.
‘This is the kind of thing that feels like it happens in other places, and not close to home in a way that this feels like for many British Columbians and Canadians,’ he said.
The education ministry staff is sending trauma-informed counsellors to the area to support kids and their families, Krieger said.
Darian Quist, a grade 12 student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, told CBC that an alarm sounded in the hallways instructing to close the doors because of an urgent lockdown.
For more than two hours Quist said they ‘got tables and barricaded the doors,’ until police arrived to escort them out of the building.
The boy then met up with his mother a few hundred yards away.
