Canada: Mass shooting at British Columbia school leaves 10 dead

A shooting at a secondary school in Canada’s British Columbia province has resulted in eight fatalities, including the suspected shooter, while two further bodies were discovered at a residence thought to be connected to the incident, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that more than 25 people were wounded in the attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, among them two individuals in critical condition with injuries described as life-threatening.

Episodes of gun violence in educational institutions are comparatively uncommon in Canada, making the scale of the incident particularly striking.

Tumbler Ridge — a community of roughly 2,400 residents situated over 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver and close to the Alberta boundary — is home to the affected school. Provincial records indicate that Tumbler Ridge Secondary School serves approximately 175 pupils spanning Grades 7 through 12.

Addressing reporters, RCMP superintendent Ken Floyd said investigators had established the identity of the shooter but were withholding the name, adding that the reason behind the violence remained unknown. “We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy,” Floyd said.

He also noted that authorities were continuing to examine possible links between the victims and the suspect as inquiries progressed.

According to a police statement, officers responding to reports of an active shooter entered the premises to neutralise the threat. During their sweep, they encountered multiple casualties and found an individual believed to be responsible dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound.

Police said six additional people were located deceased inside the building, excluding the suspected attacker. Two victims were transported by air ambulance to hospital suffering from severe or life-threatening injuries, while another person succumbed to wounds while en route for treatment.

Earlier in the day, the Peace River South School District had announced a “lockdown and secure and hold” order affecting both the secondary institution and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School as precautionary measures were enacted.

Larry Neufeld, the legislative representative for Peace River South, told journalists at the provincial legislature that extensive emergency support — including RCMP units and ambulance services — had been deployed to the area. He declined to elaborate further, citing concerns that releasing additional details could interfere with operational safety while the situation remained active.

With AP/PTI inputs