Canada is grappling with profound shock and sorrow following a devastating shooting incident that claimed nine lives and left 25 injured in a remote town in northeastern British Columbia. This tragedy marks the third-deadliest shooting in the nation’s history, reigniting critical discussions surrounding gun control.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Ken Floyd reported that seven individuals, including the suspected shooter who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted injury, were discovered deceased at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Additionally, two more victims were found at a nearby residence believed to be linked to the attack.
In a somber statement, police confirmed that another person succumbed to their injuries while en route to the hospital from the school, bringing the total fatalities to nine. Thankfully, the remaining 25 individuals sustained injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Such horrific mass shootings are uncommon in Canada. The federal government had previously initiated significant gun reforms in 2020, spurred by the country’s deadliest mass shooting where a perpetrator, posing as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, killed 23 people.
These reforms introduced a national buyback program targeting military-style assault rifles, a policy that has faced both political opposition and logistical hurdles. Official police data indicates that approximately 1.3 million firearms are registered across Canada.
Authorities have yet to disclose the shooter’s identity, the types of firearms involved, or their acquisition methods. Superintendent Floyd did confirm that the individual found deceased at the school matched the description from an earlier police alert issued around 1:20 p.m., which identified the suspect as a ‘female in a dress with brown hair.’
British Columbia Premier David Eby stated in a news briefing that the victims’ identities and ages are being withheld until all families have been formally notified by the police.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed profound devastation over the shootings via a social media post. His office announced that he would postpone his planned travel to the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
According to both the school district and provincial government websites, the secondary school has a small student body, with fewer than 200 enrolled.
As a direct consequence of the events, the secondary school, the town’s elementary school, and a local college will remain closed for the remainder of the week.
Here are further details about the incident:
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Remote Community: Tumbler Ridge, home to approximately 2,400 residents, began as a coal-mining town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
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Rare Attack: This tragic event in Tumbler Ridge ranks as the third deadliest in Canadian history. Previous major incidents include a 1989 university shooting in Montreal that left 14 women dead, a 2020 rampage in Nova Scotia claiming 22 lives, and a 2025 van attack at a Vancouver festival that resulted in 11 fatalities.
Reporting contributed by Rylee Kirk and Pranav Baskar.