Deadly Shooting at Canadian School and Residence Leaves 9 Dead

A shooter killed nine people and injured dozens in a remote community in western Canada on Tuesday, authorities said, marking one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s history.

The suspect — initially described in an emergency alert as a female wearing a dress with brown hair — was later found dead with what officials said appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The violence unfolded in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a small mountain town nestled in the foothills of the Rockies.

Police said 27 people were wounded, including two who suffered serious injuries, according to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the “horrific acts of violence” and announced he would suspend his planned trip to the Munich Security Conference, where he was scheduled to hold talks on transatlantic defence readiness.

Authorities first issued an alert about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon. Officers responding to the scene discovered six victims inside the school. A seventh person later died while being transported to hospital.

Police also located two additional bodies at a residence believed to be connected to the incident.

At the school, officers found the suspected shooter deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. Officials have not yet released details about the ages or identities of the victims or the suspect.

“We are devastated by the loss of life and the profound impact this tragedy has had on families, students, staff, and our entire town,” the municipality of Tumbler Ridge said in a statement.

Student Darian Quist told CBC he was in a mechanics class when the school went into lockdown. Initially unsure of the situation, he later began receiving “disturbing” images.

“That’s when it set in what was happening,” he said. Quist remained in lockdown for more than two hours before police entered the classroom and escorted students out.

Local journalist Trent Ernst, a former substitute teacher at the school, expressed shock, noting that school shootings are far less frequent in Canada than in the United States.

“I used to say, ‘Look at Canada, look at who we are,’” Ernst told AFP. “But when something like this happens in your town, everything changes.”

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‘Heartbreak’

Mass shootings are rare in Canada, though last April a vehicle attack at a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver killed 11 people.

British Columbia Premier David Eby called the latest tragedy “unimaginable,” while Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger described it as “one of the worst mass shootings in our province’s and country’s history.”

RCMP northern district commander Ken Floyd confirmed the suspect matched the description in the earlier emergency alert but declined to provide further details. He said investigators were examining additional properties to determine whether more locations were linked to the attack.

Tumbler Ridge, home to roughly 2,400 residents, lies more than 1,100 kilometres north of Vancouver.

“There are no words sufficient for the heartbreak our community is experiencing tonight,” the municipality said.