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The community of Tumbler Ridge continues to mourn after a mass shooting took the lives of eight people and injured more than two dozen others on Tuesday.
Premier David Eby arrived at the northern B.C. town, where a vigil attended by community members and several officials was held on Wednesday night.
“I can tell you that this is an incredibly strong community,” Eby told reporters. “It’s also a community that’s clearly in shock. The full extent of what has happened has not sunk in.”
Fighting back emotions, Eby recalled that at the vigil people were asked to have a moment of silence and pray for the families who have lost loved ones, as well as for a girl who is in hospital fighting for her life after the shooting.
“That moment for me is representative of the profound tragedy,” he said.
“A beautiful child who went to school, is full of joy and love, who’s clinging to life in a hospital right now and the other children who have died. For the parents, for the families, for the people of Tumbler Ridge … we’ll pray for you in whatever way we pray and know that that’s happening across Canada and around the world.”
On Tuesday afternoon, a shooter opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, killing a female teacher and five students — three girls aged 12 and two boys aged 12 and 13.
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Alongside the six victims from the school, two others were shot and killed at a separate location before the school shooting — the shooter’s 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old brother or stepbrother.
The shooter, identified by RCMP as 18-year-old female Jesse Van Rootselaar, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The RCMP said they believe the shooter acted alone.
The shooting left two other people with serious or life-threatening injuries. They were airlifted to hospital. Approximately 25 others were assessed and triaged at the local medical centre for non‑life‑threatening injuries.
Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s federal public safety minister, said he is heartbroken with the community of Tumble Ridge.
“As we mourn the senseless death of so many young people, what we can do here as a federal government is to support the local community, to support the mayor, to support the families, to support the first responders, to support the teachers and to ensure that we’re with them every step of the way,” Anandasangaree said. “As families are unable to put their kids to sleep tonight, there’s no words that I can say that will bring their children back.”
Mayor Darryl Krakowka thanked the premier and ministers for coming to Tumbler Ridge as “boots on the ground” to connect with the community and provide mental health supports and counsellors for families, students and staff who are grieving.
“It is so important when we see a tragedy like this, with young lives lost, families don’t have their children coming home last night. I think it was really, really important to see that, and I thank the government,” Krakowka said with emotion as Eby placed a hand on his back.
“Our community … we’re one big family,” Krakowka said.
— With files from Global News’ Amy Judd
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