Nine killed in shooting in remote Canada town

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Nine people have been killed by a suspected shooter in a rare act of mass violence in a remote town in Canada.

Police said they were called to an active shooting incident on Tuesday at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, where they found six people dead. They also found a person believed to be the shooter, who was dead from “what appears to be a self‑inflicted injury”.

Three people were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, one of whom died in transit. About 25 people were assessed as having non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said two more victims were found dead at a residence in an incident authorities believe to be connected to the shooting at the school.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement he was “devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge”.

“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.

Carney’s office said that his schedule for Wednesday had been suspended. The prime minister was expected to travel to Germany for the Munich Security Conference.

British Columbia premier David Eby at a press conference late on Tuesday asked for patience while the investigation gets under way into what he called an “unimaginable tragedy”.

“As British Columbians, I know one of the things we do best is look after each other,” he added. “This is something that will reverberate for years to come.”

Police have not released the identity of the suspect or the victims. Local media reported that a police SMS alert said the suspect was a woman.

British Columbia public safety minister Nina Krieger said officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers arrived at the scene of the shooting “within two minutes” of receiving an emergency call. “That speed and professionalism saved lives today,” she said.

The RCMP said officers were searching additional homes and properties for other potential victims.

“This was a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation, and the swift co-operation from the school, first responders and the community played a critical role in our response,” said superintendent Ken Floyd in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic incident.”

Mass violence events such as school shootings are rare in Canada. The Tumbler Ridge shooting was one of Canada’s deadliest since 2020, when 22 people were killed by a gunman in Nova Scotia.

Tumbler Ridge is a remote town in the province of British Columbia with a population of about 2,500. The town is located about a seven-hour drive from Edmonton, the capital of neighbouring province Alberta.