Premier Eby says investigation into Tumbler Ridge shooting has entered final stages

Premier David Eby says the police investigation into the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting is in its final stages.

Eby offered the update during a meeting with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka more than three months after Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people, including six schoolchildren, then herself.

Krakowka says he has spent several days in Victoria meeting with provincial officials to make sure that his community has the resources that it needs.

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He says the provincial government has been supportive of Tumbler Ridge since the first day, with resources that include mental health professionals who have been helping residents cope with the shock and grief in the small northeastern B.C. community.

Eby says police did not share a timeline on their investigation, only to say that it had entered its final stage.

The mayor says that people in his community of 2,600 have been grieving differently, and notes the children are strong and “have a different outlook” than the adults.

A coroner’s inquest into the shooting was announced last month, and Krakowka says it will be up to government whether to call a public inquiry after that.