TUMBLER RIDGE, British Columbia — At least 10 people were killed and more than 25 injured Tuesday after a “gunperson” opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in the remote northern British Columbia town.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said officers responded within two minutes to reports of an active shooter shortly after 1:20 p.m. local time. Even so, students who were sheltering in place reportedly spent at least two hours barricading their classroom doors with tables and chairs before officers escorted them off the premises. Six victims were found dead inside the school, which serves approximately 175 students in grades 7 through 12. Two additional victims later died en route to the hospital, and two more were found deceased at a nearby residence believed to be connected to the incident.
More than 25 students were injured, with two airlifted to regional hospitals in critical condition.
The suspect, initially described in alerts as a female with brown hair wearing a dress, was found dead inside the school from what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted wound. Officials have not publicly identified a motive and said one may never be determined.
Subsequent reporting identified an 18-year-old transgender woman as the alleged perpetrator after a Canadian outlet interviewed a close relative. The reported shooter, who used she/her pronouns on social media and had a well-documented history of posts across multiple platforms, including a YouTube channel focused on hunting and self-reliance, as well as photos documenting a gender transition.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd said the suspect’s identity is being withheld for now.
Mass shootings are rare in Canada compared with the United States, but they do occur and have prompted policy debates. The deadliest shooting in modern Canadian history occurred over two days in April 2020, when a gunman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia. At the time, police were heavily criticized for not using the national warning system to alert the public to the danger.
In the aftermath of the attacks, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swiftly imposed an immediate ban covering roughly 1,500 makes and models of “military-grade assault-style” firearms.
Tumbler Ridge — a tight-knit town of about 2,400 people — is reeling from the tragedy. The school district said both the secondary and the local elementary schools will remain closed for the rest of the week.
Political leaders, including British Columbia Premier David Eby and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences, with Carney describing the shooting as a national tragedy.
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Ban guns. Then it won’t happen. Oh, wait. Canada did that already.
Condolences, Blessings, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire community of Tumbler Ridge, BC — especially the families and loved ones of the directly affected youth of this community. Our hearts go out to you as you deal with the painful aftermath of this tragedy.