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In Tumbler Ridge, a small town in British Columbia at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, a shooting at a high school Tuesday left at least 10 dead and 27 injured, two of whom are in critical condition. The victims include the suspected perpetrator.
According to Canadian media - although this has not yet been determined with certainty - it is believed to be a woman who took her own life before officers arrived on the scene.
The alarm went off a little after 1:30 p.m. local time, when reports of an 'active shooter' sounded in the building. Doors locked, students entrenched in classrooms with tables and chairs, minutes that seemed to last for hours awaiting the arrival of law enforcement officers. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police quickly arrived on the scene and began combing building by building.
The victims and the mystery surrounding the motive
Inside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has about 175 students in the junior and senior schools, officers found several people who had been killed by gunfire. One victim, who was seriously injured, died while being transported to the hospital. At the same time, two more bodies were found in a nearby home, which is believed to be linked to the attack. It is suspected that they may be family members of the suspect. Detectives are investigating whether there are other locations associated with the events.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd explained that the identity of the suspect is known to authorities, but will not be made public for privacy reasons. Many questions remain unanswered: the motive is unclear, as is the relationship between the victims and the alleged shooter. "We are unable to understand why or what may have caused this tragedy," Floyd stated, stressing that the investigation is ongoing.
Most serious shooting since 2020
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed that he was "devastated" by what happened. He expressed his condolences to the families and praised the courage of the emergency services. The premier of British Columbia, David Eby, also spoke of an "unimaginable tragedy" for a community of less than 2,400 residents, more than a thousand kilometers north of Vancouver.
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: ©picture alliance/dpa/dpa-POOL | Peter Kneffel)