Mourners gather on Wednesday at a memorial for the victims of a mass school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
02/11/26 22:50
Hundreds gather for candlelight vigil in Tumbler Ridge
- Matthew Scace
Community members mourn on Wednesday during a candlelight vigil for victims of the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.PAIGE TAYLOR WHITE/AFP/Getty Images
After a quiet, sombre day in Tumbler Ridge, hundreds of residents gathered at the centre of town for a candlelight vigil on Wednesday night as the sun fell behind the mountains. Encircling a single spruce tree, people left flowers and teddy bears as others took turns at a microphone.
Groups of teenage girls sobbed on each other’s shoulders. Parents held their young ones and kissed their toques, many of them with tears in their eyes.
One speaker asked the group to join in prayer; another, a local high school student from Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, called on people to speak up if they were suffering. Others simply shared what was on their minds: pleas for the tragedy to not change the town’s fabric and hopes that it will recover from the trauma.
Many thanked first responders and teachers. “Canada is crying with you tonight,” said Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, which includes the town.
B.C. Premier David Eby observed quietly in the back with federal ministers.
Barely 100 steps away, the lights were still on in the high school.
02/11/26 22:45
B.C. Premier praises ‘inspirational’ first responders
- Justine Hunter
British Columbia Premier David Eby meets with the media outside Tumbler Ridge Town Hall on Wednesday.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
An emotional Premier David Eby, at a news conference following his attendance at a community vigil, lauded the first responders and those in the school who helped protect others.
“The stories are just starting to come out of those who stepped up to protect others, to save lives, terrifying and inspirational at the same time.”
He said there will be governments at all levels and from all political stripes who are committed to support the community.
“This is a community that is clearly in shock, the full extent of what has happened is not known, there are going to be some long days, weeks ahead.”
02/11/26 22:10
Thirteen-year-old describes hiding in a closet with 16 others during shooting
- Alanna Smith
When an alarm started blaring at the high school in Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday afternoon, 13-year-old Mya LaRocque took shelter in a closet with about 16 other students.
“I was just scared,” said Mya. “I didn’t really know what was happening.”
She heard gunshots ring out inside the school as she crouched in the tight space, which she said smelled of “wet dog.”
When students were allowed to exit the school, Mya said they were asked to hold their hands in the air as they were escorted outside. She left the school without her shoes, walking to the recreation centre where students were kept until they could be reunited with their families.
Holding back tears on Wednesday evening, Mya said she knew some of the victims well. She said she doesn’t want to ever return to that school.
Mya’s grandparents, Linda and David LaRocque, were outside the local health centre for an appointment on Tuesday afternoon when they heard the alarm at the school and thought it was a fire drill.
“Nurses went tearing out, running into the emergency part of the clinic,” Ms. LaRocque said, estimating it was about 3:30 p.m. Shortly after, a woman told them that there had been a shooting at the school and her daughter had been injured.
It was a tense hour or so before they were able to confirm that their granddaughter was not injured, finally getting to embrace Mya at the recreation centre.
“We found our baby. I didn’t want to let go of her,” said Ms. LaRocque, holding on to Mya as she spoke at their home on Wednesday.
02/11/26 20:50
The Samuel De Champlain Bridge in Montreal is lit in purple on Wednesday night to commemorate the victims of the Tumbler Ridge Shooting.Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images
02/11/26 20:15
Shop teacher describes anxious wait for lockdown to end
- Tom Cardoso
Around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, a student returning to Jarbas Noronha’s class said he’d heard what sounded like gunfire.
Jarbas Noronha, a teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.Supplied
Two minutes later, another student approached Mr. Noronha, a mechanical shop and applied science teacher at the only secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., a remote town 13 hours north of Vancouver.
The principal had just come to the door, the student said as the alarm sounded. The school was in lockdown.
Mr. Noronha sprang into fight-or-flight mode and took a quick head count: 15 students, all in grades 11 or 12. Using the mechanical shop’s heavy metal benches, Mr. Noronha barricaded the classroom door. “The idea was just to buy us an extra three or four minutes if eventually somebody tried to break in,” he said in an interview.
“I gathered all the students together and got all their names, and then we built an escape plan,” he said.
02/11/26 18:38
Speech from the Throne in B.C. to focus on Tumbler Ridge
- Justine Hunter
Thursday’s Speech from the Throne in B.C. will focus on Tumbler Ridge and the victims of Tuesday’s mass shooting. The first Question Period of the spring session will be skipped, and the House leaders of all three parties have agreed for the time being not to take advantage of diminished votes in the legislature to try to trigger a vote of confidence.
The remarkable unity was outlined in a joint press conference Wednesday. Members of the opposition Conservatives and the governing NDP are in Tumbler Ridge to assist the community, and the government’s fragile majority in the House could be at risk.
Á’a:líya Warbus, the Conservative House leader, told reporters that the gravity of the moment requires politicians to put aside politics for the time being. “I think taking advantage of something like this on either side would not be serving anyone,” she said.
Government House leader Mike Farnworth said the usual ceremony that accompanies the Throne Speech – brass bands, 15-gun cannon salutes and red carpets – have been cancelled. The budget will be tabled next week as planned.
The NDP have a bare majority that was set to be tested in the legislative session that begins Thursday, after a formal agreement with the opposition Greens fell apart last week. The NDP hold 47 seats in the legislature, while the combined opposition hold 46 seats.
02/11/26 18:05
Teen identified as shooter had recent psychiatric care
- Nathan Vanderklippe and Tu Thanh Ha
Flowers and toys make up a makeshift memorial near the site of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Wednesday.JESSE WINTER/The Globe and Mail
The shooter who opened fire on a high school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was a troubled teenager who had received psychiatric treatment in the past and who lived in a home where guns were present.
Police, friends and family said Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, struggled with mental illness. She was also known in the community as Jesse Strang and police said she had not attended school in four years.
The RCMP also confirmed the shooter was transgender. Police said the shooter was born male and had transitioned to female six years ago.
A family member told The Globe and Mail the youth had been taken for treatment recently in a psychiatric facility in Prince George, a 400-kilometre drive from Tumbler Ridge.
Police had returned guns to the family home “about a month ago,” the family member said.
In late 2023, the shooter set fire to a bed at the family home, a friend of the shooter’s mother, Jennifer Strang, told The Globe and Mail. Two other sources confirmed details about the fire, including the family member.
The Globe and Mail is not identifying those who spoke about the shooter because they fear reprisal for their association with the deadly mass shooting.
02/11/26 17:12
MLA for Peace River South visits with community members
- Justine Hunter
“There’s not a word in the English language that is strong enough to describe the level of devastation,” said the MLA for Peace River South, Larry Neufeld, after visiting with members of the community on Wednesday.
He said every first responder involved would have known the victims. “This is a very tight-knit community. And if your family was not directly affected by this tragedy, there’s a less than one degree separation between you and someone directly affected.”
When Mr. Neufeld arrived in Tumbler Ridge, he checked in at the medical clinic and found the staff there had been relieved by replacement workers so that they could get counselling support.
He rejected efforts by some to use the incident to lobby for causes, whether gun-control advocates or transphobic commentators. “There is no politics welcome or tolerated in this situation by myself and others,” he said.
“Today, and in the weeks ahead, what matters is the victims, the families and the community, full stop, everything else matters far less.”
While he would not comment on the shooter’s access to weapons, he did say that there was nothing out of the ordinary in this community for a teenager to have a gun licence for hunting or sport shooting.
02/11/26 15:54
A rare scene of unity across the House of Commons floor today
- Ian Bailey
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre in the House of Commons on Wednesday.DAVE CHAN/AFP/Getty Images
As federal party leaders spoke about Tumbler Ridge in the House of Commons today, Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said this was no time for political conflict.
“There is no partisanship on this day,” Mr. Poilievre said, committing the opposition to work with the government, provincial leaders and local government to help Tumbler Ridge.
Once the speeches were done, it was fitting MPs all came together on the floor of the House in a manner at odds with the routine cut and thrust of Commons politics.
Mr. Poilievre crossed the House to Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the federal Conservative Leader and the federal Liberal shook hands.
Shortly after as mingling broke out, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer also crossed the house floor for a long chat with Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister for Canada-U.S. trade.
Meanwhile, Mr. Carney mingled with MPs, chatting with his Commons colleagues.
While that was going on, a cross-party line of MPs formed to shake Mr. Poilievre’s hand as he stood by his designated desk in the chamber.
MPs waiting their turn included Liberals Greg Fergus, a former speaker of the Commons, as well as Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Andréanne Larouche, another Bloc member.
Bruce Fanjoy, MP for the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton, also shook hands with the federal Conservative Leader. Mr. Fanjoy won the riding in the last federal election, defeating the incumbent Mr. Poilievre.
Earlier in the day, MPs from all parties gathered for a news conference to launch National Kindness Week, created through legislation in 2021, which is to be held from Feb. 15 to 21.
“At a time when so many people feel divided, this is a reminder that there are values we all share and kindness is one of them,” Liberal MP Giovanna Mingarelli said, flanked by MPs from the Bloc, Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Green Leader Elizabeth May.
02/11/26 15:16
Federal, B.C. officials will meet with Tumbler Ridge community this evening
– Justine Hunter
B.C. Premier David Eby and Nina Krieger, the province’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor-General, will be in Tumbler Ridge Wednesday evening to meet with the community.
They’ll be joining two federal cabinet ministers, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Gregor Robinson, who is Minister of Housing and Infrastructure but also the Liberal government’s senior minister from B.C.
B.C. officials said other resources are also flowing into the community, including mental-health and victims-services professionals.
02/11/26 15:07
B.C. Legislature cancels Speech from the Throne set for Thursday
– Justine Hunter
The B.C. Legislature has cancelled the delivery of the Speech from the Throne which was set for Thursday. The legislature will be recalled for the spring session as planned, but the normal ceremony and events have been stripped away, replaced with a day of mourning for the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge.
The decision was announced in a joint statement from all three party House leaders.
“The horrific shooting and tragic loss of life in Tumbler Ridge have devastated this small community and impacted people across B.C., Canada and around the world,” the statement reads. “At noon, the legislative assembly will stand for a moment of silence in honour of the victims in Tumbler Ridge, their families and the entire community. The house will then adjourn.
“At 2 p.m., the lieutenant governor will deliver a speech in the house dedicated to the people of Tumbler Ridge, followed by brief legally required procedures.”
02/11/26 15:04
History of mental-health calls at the family home: RCMP
– Justine Hunter
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said there was a police history of dealing with mental-health calls at the family home of the 18-year-old shooter, and police had in the past seized firearms from the home under the Criminal Code. The firearms involved in the shooting were described as a long gun and a modified handgun. The shooter had a firearms licence, which had expired.
The RCMP also confirmed that the 18-year-old was born male and had transitioned to female six years ago.
02/11/26 14:51
RCMP identify 18-year-old shooter
– Justine Hunter
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald speaks to reporters about the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., during a news conference in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
RCMP have identified the alleged killer in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge as 18-year-old female Jesse Van Rootselaar, a resident of the community. They said there was a police history of dealing with mental-health calls at the home.
At a media briefing Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, B.C. RCMP Commanding Officer, also updated the death toll. He said there are nine people including the alleged shooter who are dead, not 10 as reported Tuesday. At the school, the shooting victims included a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students and two male students, ages 12 and 13.
The RCMP said two additional victims, a 39-year-old female and 11-year-old male, were found dead in a local residence and are believed to be the shooter’s mother and stepbrother.
02/11/26 14:22
Carney to Tumbler Ridge community: ‘All of Canada stands with you’
– Emily Haws
Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke directly to those affected by the mass shooting when addressing the House of Commons Wednesday.
Dressed in a black suit, Mr. Carney reiterated his message that the country is in shock and mourning. The speech followed the Members of Parliament holding a moment of silence.
Mr. Carney said that people may never be able to fully reconcile with the “senseless” violence that tore the community apart, but they can seek comfort from and take care of each other.
“To those families who have lost loved ones, this House mourns with you. To those who are recovering from injuries, this House prays for you,” he said. “To the students, the teachers, the parents, every resident of Tumbler Ridge, all of Canada stands with you.”
He also paid tribute to Tumbler Ridge, a community with a population of 2,400 people in northeastern British Columbia, noting it “represents the very best of Canada – resilient, compassionate, and strong.”
Mr. Carney said that the investigation is ongoing, and that Canada must allow law enforcement the time and space to do its work.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is going to the community and is co-ordinating the federal response, he said, adding that officials are in close contact with provincial and local counterparts to ensure the community receives the support it needs, both now and in the future.
02/11/26 14:22
House of Commons holds moment of silence for victims of B.C. shooting
– The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a moment of silence before making a statement about the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in the House of Commons on Wednesday.David Kawai/Reuters
Members of Parliament held a moment of silence today in honour of the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Flags on federal buildings will be flown at half-mast for seven days to honour the victims of Tuesday’s deadly shooting.
Members of Parliament will forgo normal proceedings and are set to adjourn following statements from party leaders.
02/11/26 13:13
Tumbler Ridge resident reacts to the mass shooting
– Nathan VanderKlippe
Arianna Bazinet was driving home after having lunch when she saw police cars speeding into town. Moments later, the emergency alert came over her phone.
“I immediately sent it to my mom and said, ‘Hey, stay in the house, don’t go anywhere,’” Ms. Bazinet said. “We had no idea that it had actually started when kids went back to school at lunchtime.”
She learned about the shooting on Facebook from friends in the community. She said one of her friends’ little brothers was in the school at the time, but wasn’t injured. Another friend’s sister was still missing on Tuesday evening.
“They can’t find her, and it’s just horrible,” said Ms. Bazinet, who previously attended school there herself. “We’re hoping to hear good news. We’re praying for good news, but we can only hope.”
02/11/26 13:04
What we know about the shooter
– Globe Staff
Authorities have not released the identity of the shooter and declined to comment on their motive.
Police said Tuesday that the shooter died from what appeared to be a self‑inflicted injury. They did not believe there were any other suspects.
A police active shooter alert described the suspect “as female in a dress with brown hair.”
Police Superintendent Ken Floyd later confirmed at a news conference that the suspect described in the alert was the same person found dead in the school.
Supt. Floyd said police believe they’ve been able to identify the shooter, but for privacy reasons and for the conduct of the investigation, they’re not releasing that information.
02/11/26 12:53
Governor-General Mary Simon releases statement
– Emily Haws and Ian Bailey
Governor-General Mary Simon said in a statement that she and her husband Whit Fraser send their deepest condolences to the community. They also thanked the first responders.
“In this unimaginable moment of tragedy, the whole of Canada has Tumbler Ridge in its thoughts,” she said. “Let us stay united in our compassion and reach out to one another with love and tenderness today, as we join the entire nation in grieving.”
02/11/26 12:45
NDP, Green Party leaders offer condolences at Ottawa news conference
– Emily Haws and Ian Bailey
NDP interim leader Don Davies expressed his condolences to residents of Tumbler Ridge while appearing with other MPs to hold a news conference ahead of national Kindness Week, which occurs from Feb. 15 to 21.
He said there was a “cruel irony” to being at such an event, but also a profound symmetry given a gathering of MPs across party lines.
Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Davies said there will be time in the coming days to learn more about what has happened.
“Right now, we have to come together as a country and express our deep condolences and grief to all those who are suffering and offer whatever help might be needed in this community at this time,” he said.
At the same event, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she expected first responders are going to need a lot of emotional support after what they witnessed inside the school doors in Tumbler Ridge.
“It’s unspeakable. It’s a terrible tragedy and we mourn with those who have lost so much,” she said.
02/11/26 12:41
A list of Canadian school shootings
– The Canadian Press
A white ribbon is shown on the jacket of a person during a memorial for the victims of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, on Dec 6, 2025.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Here is a look at some other school shootings in Canada:
La Loche high school, Sask.
On Jan. 22, 2016, Randan Dakota Fontaine shot two of his cousins dead, then killed a teacher and a teacher’s aide at the La Loche high school.
Les Racines de vie Montessori, Gatineau
On April 5, 2013, two men were killed during a shooting at the school’s daycare. The shooter was identified as Robert Charron. Thirty-eight-year-old Neil Galliou was killed before Charron took his own life. Charron told staff to take the 53 children to safety before he opened fire.
W.C. Jeffreys Collegiate Institute, Toronto
On May, 23, 2007, 15-year-old Jordan Manners was found in a hallway with single gunshot wound to the chest. He later died in hospital. Two teens were charged with first-degree-murder and were later acquitted.
Dawson College, Montreal
On Sept. 13, 2006, 18-year-old Anastasia De Sousa was killed and 20 others were hurt when gunman Kimveer Gill, 25, opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon. Gill was killed in a police gunfight.
W.R. Myers High: Taber, Alta.
On April 28, 1999, a 14-year-old Grade 9 students shot three students, killing 17-year-old Jason Lang before he was arrested.
École Polytechnique, Montreal
On Dec. 6, 1989, 25-year-old Marc Lepine shot more than two dozen people, killing 14 women before killing himself. The school has since been renamed to Polytechnique Montréal.
Concordia University, Montreal
On Aug. 24, 1992, Valery Fabrikant, a mechanical engineering professor, shot four other Concordia University professors on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building, and wounded a secretary. Matthew McCartney Douglass and Michael Gorden Hogben died that day. Aaron Jaan Saber died the next day, and Phoivos Ziogas died on Sept. 23, 1992. Fabrikant was convicted for the murders and remains in prison.
02/11/26 12:32
Schools in Tumbler Ridge will remain closed for rest of the week
– Globe Staff
Police could be seen leaving and going to the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School throughout the morning on Wednesday.Jesse Boily/The Canadian Press
Schools in Tumbler Ridge will remain closed for the rest of the week after Tuesday’s mass shooting.
The school district says the community experienced a tragic and deeply traumatic event, and the trauma and impact of this loss are immeasurable.
“There is no timeline for how each of us will process this grief and immense loss, both individually and as a community,” School District 59 said in a statement posted on its website.
“While words often feel inadequate in the face of such loss, coming together can help reduce isolation and remind us that we are not alone.”
The school district says it has created a space at the Tumbler Ridge Community Centre where mental-health professionals will be present to provide support as needed.
02/11/26 12:27
Carney orders flags at half-mast to honour victims
– The Canadian Press
The flag flies at half-mast over the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Flags on federal buildings will be flown at half-mast for seven days to honour the victims of Tuesday’s deadly shooting in B.C., Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday.
02/11/26 12:23
House of Commons will have shortened sitting, moment of silence
– Emily Haws and Ian Bailey
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon’s office confirmed that the House of Commons will have a shortened sitting today due to the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
There will be a moment of silence at 2 p.m. ET and then speeches from Prime Minister Mark Carney and the opposition leaders. From there, the House of Commons will rise.
02/11/26 12:19
Poilievre calls on Canadians to unite in support of Tumbler Ridge community
– Emily Haws and Ian Bailey
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the incident was devastating and called on Canadians to unite in support of the families and larger community of Tumbler Ridge.
“The fact that this took place at a secondary school – it makes it even more tragic,” he said. “As a father, I can’t even imagine the phone calls that parents might have received.”
“I can’t imagine the heartache and hell that they’re living through.”
He said he will be in touch with Mr. Carney and other parties to offer support.
“I encourage all Canadians to pray for the community and pray for the family as we go forward and take the necessary steps to support them,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on Canadians to unite in support of the families and community of Tumbler Ridge. Interim NDP leader Don Davies, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and B.C. Liberal MP Zoe Royer offered condolences at a news conference in Ottawa.
The Canadian Press
02/11/26 12:16
Local district councillor reacts to the mass shooting
– Nathan VanderKlippe
Chris Norbury is a local district councillor whose wife works at the high school and whose five-year-old daughter attends the nearby elementary school. He was among the parents that received notice that the community’s schools had been placed on lockdown.
“It’s an unbelievable tragedy that our community has to live through, that’ll take a very long time for us to heal,” he said.
Mr. Norbury works at the Tumbler Ridge Visitor Centre, which is located within a block of the high school. After the elementary school called to tell him his daughter was safe, he watched as emergency services gathered around the high school, blocking an access road. A helicopter hovered overhead.
Those who responded, he said, included paramedics and police, many of them intimately connected with those inside.
“The first responders, I can only imagine how they feel, having to see children that they know, fearful they have lost their lives,” Mr. Norbury said.
Mr. Norbury’s family emerged safe, but grief has touched everyone.
“Multiple people have died,” he said. “We all know them. And they were friends. And their parents were our friends.”
02/11/26 12:09
The history of school shootings in Canada
– Globe Staff
The Tumbler Ridge tragedy is one of the worst school shootings in Canadian history.
School shootings in Canada are relatively rare. In January, 2016, a 17-year-old shot and killed two brothers, his cousins, at their home in La Loche, in northern Saskatchewan. He then proceeded to La Loche Community School, where he fatally shot a teacher and a teacher’s aide. Seven others were injured.
The deadliest school shooting in Canada remains at École Polytechnique, an engineering university in Montréal where a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed 14 women in December, 1989. Thirteen others were injured.
02/11/26 12:03
Tumbler Ridge shooting hits close to home for some Team Canada athletes, coaches
– Jamie Ross and Rachel Brady
The shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., is hitting close to home for some Canadian Olympians competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
As Team Canada athletes and coaches carried out their sports duties across Italy on the sixth day of the Olympics, they were also confronted with tragedy back on their home soil.
Sam Reinhart, a forward on the Canadian men’s hockey team, said he was devastated to hear the news when he woke up Wednesday morning.
“We are all talking about it,” said Reinhart, who is from West Vancouver. “You feel it all the way over here. We’ve been thinking about them all day and we will continue to all Olympics. We are here to do what we can to represent the country and take some minds off it for an hour or two.”
Jon Cooper, the head coach of the men’s hockey team, grew up about four hours away in nearby Prince George.
In Milan on Wednesday, he said it was hard to get his head around what happened.
“You think about tragedies that happen, usually they happen somewhere else, so you never really feel the effect of it touching close to home,” Cooper said. “This one’s close to home, and my heart goes out to all the families.”
02/11/26 11:53
World leaders, King Charles express condolences after Tumbler Ridge mass shooting
– Globe staff
Many world leaders including French President Emanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky have reached out to Prime Minister Mark Carney to express their condolences after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
They expressed their shock and offered words of support and sympathy to the families of the victims as well as the first responders and the community at large.
King Charles also issued a statement, calling the shooting “the most dreadful attack.”
“In such a closely connected town, every child’s name will be known and every family will be a neighbour. We can only begin to imagine the appalling shadow that has now descended across Tumbler Ridge and our hearts go out to all those whose lives have been so shattered by this senseless act of brutal violence,” he wrote.
“In sending our most heartfelt condolences, my wife and I stand in solidarity with the people of Tumbler Ridge and all Canadians as they seek understanding, healing and strength.”
02/11/26 11:45
‘It’s devastating’: Tumbler Ridge reeling after deadly school shooting
– Nathan VanderKlippe
A group of parents gather outside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday as RCMP investigate inside.Trent Ernst/Supplied
Quinn Campbell, 12, was in the bathroom of the high school, Tumbler Ridge Secondary, when she heard several shots. At first, a teacher told her not to worry, suggesting it may have been a loud sound produced by the school shop.
Moments later, she was told to take cover. She joined roughly 16 other students in the gymnasium equipment room, where they locked the door and turned out the lights.
“I was just thinking about all of my friends, if they were okay. Thinking about my family,” said Quinn, a student in Grade 7. They stayed inside for several hours, joined by a teacher.
Inside the equipment room, older students attempted to keep up spirits.
“They were mostly trying to cheer me up since I was the youngest one in the room,” Quinn said. “They were trying to make sure I wasn’t going to freak out or anything.”
The shooter, she said, appears to have begun firing on the ground floor before going upstairs in the school.
Her father, Dennis Campbell, gave credit to teachers who “went and protected the kids in that equipment room.”
Mr. Campbell is president of the local minor hockey association, which includes 104 players. “Every one of them were in that school,” he said. He believes three of the dead are among his daughter’s friends.
“I can’t even express how we all feel about what just went on. I don’t know how we’re going to get over it right away,” he said. “It’s devastating for us.”
02/11/26 11:36
Watch: Carney says nation mourns with Tumbler Ridge
– Emily Haws and Ian Bailey
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., 'a very difficult day for the nation.'
The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney says it’s a difficult day for Canada and the nation is mourning after a mass shooting that has left 10 people dead in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a caucus meeting, Mr. Carney said he had spoken to B.C. Premier David Eby, and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is en route to the province. All assistance will be offered, he said.
“This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love,” said Mr. Carney, who was visibly emotional.
“The nation mourns with you. Canada stands by you.”
02/11/26 11:34
B.C. Premier David Eby commends RCMP for ‘heroic’ response
– Globe Staff
B.C. Premier David Eby commended the RCMP for their “heroic” response, noting that they were on the scene within two minutes of the first call.
“That fast response time meant what was already a devastating tragedy was prevented from being significantly worse,” he told reporters in Vancouver on Tuesday night.
He said the RCMP have not finished notifying next of kin so he could not say how many victims were students at the school.
“We can’t imagine what the community is going through, but I know it’s causing us all to hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight.”
02/11/26 11:05
Where is Tumbler Ridge, B.C.?
Tumbler Ridge is a coal-mining town at the foothills of the Rockies, home to about 2,400 people.
02/11/26 11:00
Carney joins Canadians ‘in grieving,’ cancels overseas trip
– Globe Staff
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to the media about the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.DAVE CHAN/Getty Images
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was devastated by the shootings and sent his prayers and condolences to those affected.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” he said in a statement.
“Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country – our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other.”
Mr. Carney was scheduled to fly to Halifax Wednesday to announce his defence industrial strategy before flying to Munich for the Munich Security Conference. But the Prime Minister’s Office said he is postponing the announcement and suspending his overseas trip “for the time being.”
02/11/26 11:00
What happened in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
– Andrea Woo and Mike Hager
The violence has affected everyone in the small district of 2,400 people. Residents of the community were ordered to shelter in place for most of Tuesday afternoon as parents waited in fear for their children.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd, North District Commander, said Tumbler Ridge RCMP received a report of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has a student population of 150, at about 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
An alert was broadcast to mobile phones in the area just after 2 p.m., warning residents and directing them to shelter in place, lock their doors and refrain from going outside. The suspect was described as a female in a dress with brown hair, according to the alert.
A text alert telling residents of Tumbler Ridge to shelter in place on Tuesday.HO/The Canadian Press
Parents received notice shortly after 3 p.m. that the community’s schools had been placed on lockdown.
The Tumbler Ridge Health Centre was put on Code Orange, signifying a mass casualty incident or large-scale emergency response, with restricted access protocols in place.
Schools began releasing students around 5 p.m., and the RCMP alert was officially lifted 45 minutes later.
A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead including a woman whom police believe to be the shooter, while two more people were found dead at a nearby home, Canadian authorities said Tuesday.
The Associated Press
Around 6 p.m., police confirmed that six people had been found dead inside the high school, as well as the suspected shooter, with what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. Another victim died en route to hospital.
Two additional victims were found dead at a secondary residential location “believed to be connected to the incident,” Supt. Floyd said, though he would not provide details on that connection.
Police continued to search homes and properties in the area “to determine whether anyone else may be injured or otherwise linked” to Tuesday’s events.
On Wednesday, the provincial government was sending trauma counsellors to the community to aid students and parents.
School district officials say the high school where the shooting took place and also Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week. The district says supports will be made available at locations that have not yet been determined.