A small Canadian town within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is reeling after a girl opened fire in a secondary school and a close-by home.
The town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is home to around 2,400 people and is now the centre of the worst mass school shooting in Canadian history.
Ten people, including the suspected shooter, are dead, with 25 others injured, including two who were airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified a female suspect but wouldn’t release a reputation, and that the shooter’s motive remained unclear.
‘We will not be able to know why or what could have motivated this tragedy,’ Floyd said.
Here’s all we learn about how the shooting unfolded.
Police were called to the college around 1pm
Around 1.20pm yesterday afternoon, local police received a call about an energetic shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
The varsity has around 160 students between the ages of 12 and 18.
Air ambulances were dispatched from Grand Prairie, Alberta, roughly 140 kilometres away.
All roads around the college were blocked off as police worked to achieve the scene and evacuate other students.
10 confirmed dead, including the shooter
Police confirmed 10 people, including the suspected shooter, were killed.
Seven victims were found inside the highschool, and one other died on the technique to the hospital.
It hasn’t been confirmed if those dead are children or adults, and police warned not to invest on that information.
‘A person believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self-inflicted injury,’ the police said.
Two more were found dead at a house police imagine to be connected to the attack.
What will we know concerning the shooter?
An emergency alert was sent to phones within the region, describing the suspect as a girl in a dress with brown hair.
The suspect has since been found dead, and it stays unclear how the victims are connected to her.
Police said more information shall be released in time.
What have politicians said?
Tumbler Ridge mayor Darryl Krakowka said the entire community is grieving.
When he learned what number of died, he told reporters: ‘I broke down. It’s devastating. I actually have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every certainly one of the victims.’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a press release on social media that he was devastated by the shooting in Tumbler Ridge.
‘I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been modified irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the primary responders who risked their lives to guard their fellow residents,’ he wrote.
Where is Tumbler Ridge?
Tumbler Ridge is a small town within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Surrounded by wilderness, the town has a population of just below 3,000 and was originally built to support the coal industry.
What are Canada’s gun laws?
Canada’s government has responded to previous mass shootings with gun control measures, including a recently broadened ban on all guns it considers assault weapons.
All firearms owners are required to have a firearms license and undergo safety training and background checks.
British Columbia is certainly one of the highest 4 Canadian provinces for licensed gun owners, with around 350,000 residents having permits.
Tuesday’s shootings were Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left one other nine dead.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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