Nine to ten killed in Tumbler Ridge school and home shootings

A mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in northeastern British Columbia left multiple people dead and dozens wounded, officials said, in one of the country's deadliest attacks on a school campus in decades. Local and provincial authorities said the toll was still being reconciled on Wednesday, with initial counts and later statements differing on whether the attacker is included among the dead.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Northern District officers said they found six people dead inside the secondary school and another person who later died en route to hospital. Two additional bodies were discovered at a home believed to be connected to the school, RCMP briefings indicated. British Columbia Premier David Eby later said the total death toll was 10, including the suspected attacker, but authorities continued to treat counts as provisional as investigators and the coroner completed on‑scene work.

Authorities reported roughly 25 people were being assessed and treated at local medical facilities and two victims were airlifted to hospital with serious or life‑threatening injuries. RCMP Northern District commander Superintendent Ken Floyd said investigators were still piecing together the sequence and would not speculate about motive, saying the force was not yet able to say "what may have motivated this strategy."

The shootings, reported in the early afternoon at about 1:20 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, prompted a swift police response. Mr. Eby said officers reached the school within two minutes of receiving word. Video from the scene showed students walking out of the building with their hands raised while police vehicles and a helicopter circled overhead, and school officials said remaining students and staff were evacuated safely.

RCMP investigators identified a female suspect but did not immediately release a name. The suspect was found deceased at the school with what authorities described as an apparent self‑inflicted injury. A public alert issued during the response described the person of interest as "a female in a dress with brown hair." The FBI has also been reported to have released images from a private home camera showing a person who appeared to be wearing a mask; investigators said they were reviewing surveillance and other evidence.

The shootings occurred in Tumbler Ridge, a remote town of roughly 2,400 people in northeast British Columbia near the Alberta border. Tumbler Ridge Secondary serves grades 7 through 12; provincial and local sources give the school's enrollment between about 160 and 175 students. The school district announced the secondary school would be closed for the rest of the week as the community and authorities respond.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith offered condolences to victims and first responders, saying, "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia today… To the families grieving, the friends and classmates who are also impacted, and the first responders on the ground, know that Alberta and the whole of Canada is thinking of you and our hearts go out to you and your community." Mr. Eby warned the impact would be long lasting: "This is something that will reverberate for years to come," and he asked Canadians to "wrap the people of Tumbler Ridge and families with love."

Investigators said motive remained under review and urged patience as authorities confirmed casualty figures, identities and the precise timeline. Hospitals and the coroner's office are expected to release further updates as the investigation continues.