9 killed in shootings at British Columbia high school and nearby home; suspect identified as woman

Nine people were killed Tuesday in shootings at a high school and a nearby residence in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, authorities said, in one of Canada’s worst mass shootings in recent years, The Associated Press reported.

The violence unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in the small northeastern British Columbia town around 1:20 p.m. local time, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police received reports of an active shooter at the campus, Canadian media reported.

Six victims were found dead at the school, and a seventh died while being transported to a hospital, RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd said at an evening news conference. Two additional victims were discovered at a nearby residence that authorities believe is connected to the attack, the AP reported.

The suspected shooter, identified by authorities as a woman, was found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials said they have identified the suspect but are withholding her name pending further investigation, the news service reported.

More than two dozen people were injured in the attack. Two were airlifted to medical facilities with life-threatening injuries, while others suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The campus was evacuated following the shooting, according to the AP.

British Columbia Premier David Eby praised what he described as a rapid police response, saying officers arrived at the school within two minutes of the initial report of gunfire, the AP reported.

“That speed and professionalism saved lives today,” Mr. Eby said. Authorities said it was too early to determine how many of the victims were children or to establish a motive. Any connection between the suspect and the school or the nearby residence remains under investigation, the AP reported.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called the violence “horrific” and ordered Canadian flags flown at half-mast on all federal government buildings through Tuesday, the AP reported.

“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today,” Mr. Carney said in a statement.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre described the incident as “a senseless act of violence.”

Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said the shooting was among the deadliest in British Columbia’s history, and trauma-informed counselors were being dispatched to assist students, families and residents, The Washington Post reported.

The local school district canceled classes at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School through the end of the week, the AP reported.

Tumbler Ridge, a town of about 2,500 people located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, was developed in 1981 to support the local coal industry, according to its municipal history.

British Columbia legislator Larry Neufeld described it as “a small, close-knit town” where “the impact of an event like this is felt by everyone.” Mr. Eby said the community will feel the effects for years to come.

“This is something that will reverberate for years to come,” he said.