ap/taz | Several people have been killed in a gun attack at a school in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. The authorities spoke of at least eight dead, including the suspected shooter, and more than 25 injured. Two other people were later found dead in a house. Investigators believed there was a connection to the incident at the school.
The shots were fired on Tuesday in the town of Tumbler Ridge at a secondary school of the same name. Police Chief Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators have now identified the shooter. But the motive for the crime is still unclear. “We are not yet able to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy.” The police are still investigating the relationship between the victims and the alleged perpetrator.
In a first reaction to the shots Officers went to the school to determine where the threat had come from, police said. When the police searched the rooms, they found seven dead people. The alleged shooter was among them. She died of a suspected self-inflicted injury. Another victim died on the way to a clinic.
Among more than 25 people injured, two were flown by helicopter to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Residents should not leave their homes
Tumbler Ridge is a small town with barely 2,500 residents. It was rebuilt in the early 1980s for employees of the surrounding coal mines. On the eastern side of the mountain range in the province of British Columbia, coal is mined on a large scale in open-cast mines. The place is characterized by many isolated houses. The secondary school is located in a plain, low-rise building on the outskirts of the town.
Tumbler Ridge residents were asked not to leave their homes. The responsible school district, Peace River South School District, announced that the affected Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and the elementary school had been placed on lockdown and a protocol to secure the buildings had been put into effect.
“We understand that some people are looking for their loved ones, but please, please return home and stay there to stay safe,” Larry Neufeld, a member of the British Columbia Parliament who represents Peace River South there, told reporters. The affected community is receiving extensive support from the police and emergency services.
British Columbia Prime Minister David Eby said: “Our hearts go out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones at Tumbler Ridge this evening.” The government will ensure in the coming days that all possible support is provided to members of the community. Everyone was now trying to “deal with this unimaginable tragedy.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also deeply shocked in a statement on social media. “I join Canadians in mourning today with those whose lives have been irrevocably changed, and thank the first responders for their courage and selflessness who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” he wrote.
Tumbler Ridge is more than 1,000 kilometers north of Vancouver. Tumbler Ridge Secondary School is listed on the provincial government website as having 175 students in grades seven through 12. School shootings are rare in Canada.
Canada’s government has after previous firearms incidents with many victims responded with stricter gun control measures. This includes expanding the ban on all weapons that can be classified as assault rifles.
The Tumbler Ridge incident was the deadliest Shooting spree in Canada since 2020. At that time, a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that claimed the lives of another nine people.