A quiet mining town in the province of British Columbia’s Peace Region is now the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history. Around 1:20 p.m. local time, an active shooter alert was given after gunfire occurred at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
The Attack and Response
RCMP said officers arrived on the scene to find a “distressing” situation. An emergency alert was issued immediately, broadcast throughout northeastern B.C. and some Alberta areas, advising Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Dawson Creek residents to take shelter.
The suspect, who was first identified as a woman wearing a dress with brown hair, was found dead shortly after the police arrived. Authorities say she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The threat is neutralized, however, and investigators are looking at the likelihood that a second suspect planned or carried out the attack.
Casualties and Victims
Official reports stated as of Wednesday morning that 10 people among them were killed, including students and staff. Dozens more are being brought to regional hospitals, with several of the victims said to be in critical condition. Tumbler Ridge Elementary School nearby was also placed on lockdown as an precaution. Some parents were too anxious to wait for a child to be reunited, and some waited for hours in a designated reunification center.
A Community in Mourning
Tumbler Ridge, a close community of about 2,400 people, has been devastated by the incident. Larry Neufeld of Peace River South MLA went back to his riding straight away, describing the incident as "unfathomable." “Our beautiful, quiet community is in an absolute state of grief,” Neufeld said.
Federal and provincial authorities have expressed their condolences over the shooting, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was personally aware of the massacre, saying it was “senseless violence” that has no place in Canada. Investigators are currently conducting an in-depth study of the shooter’s motives and how she got the guns.
