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The town of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., is in mourning after eight people, as well as the shooter, were killed in a mass shooting Tuesday at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence.
“We are thinking of the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, following today’s tragic events. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected. We are grateful to everyone supporting the community during this difficult time,” said the RCMP in a post on social media late Tuesday evening.
It is not yet known how many victims were children or adults, and RCMP have not provided any information on the weapon or weapons used.
Tuesday’s mass shooting is one of the worst in Canadian history.
Here’s what we know about how the attack unfolded based on information provided by RCMP, B.C government officials and Emergency Health Services.
The RCMP sent out an emergency alert and placed the entire Tumbler Ridge community of just over 2,000 people under lockdown at 1:20 p.m. mountain time, which is the local time zone, shortly after receiving reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
That’s roughly 3:20 p.m. eastern.
“Those in the Tumbler Ridge area are asked to stay inside (shelter in place), lock your doors and refrain from leaving your home or business at this time. All others need to avoid the area and follow police directions and restrictions,” said the RCMP in the alert.
At 1:22 p.m. local time, officers arrived on the scene, which was also confirmed by Nina Kriger, B.C.’s minister of public safety and solicitor general in a statement late Tuesday evening.
At 2:50 p.m. local time, the local school district posted on its website that it was aware of the situation and that the affiliated elementary school nearby was also placed under lockdown.
“The District is aware of a lockdown and secure and hold at Tumbler Ridge Secondary and Tumbler Ridge Elementary schools. We are asking people to have patience as we work with the RCMP,” said School District 59 – Peace River South.
Around 3:15 p.m. local time, an emergency alert is sent to the phones of residents of Tumbler Ridge. It warns of a suspect “described as female in a dress with brown hair.” Residents are told to shelter in place.
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4:16 p.m. local time, RCMP issued a press release saying police are on the “scene of a confirmed active shooter incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. They say the “original suspect” is believed dead but they are determining if a second suspect is involved.
Late in the evening on Tuesday, the RCMP for B.C.’s Lower Mainland District put out a release detailing how officers responded and what they discovered after arriving on the scene of the shooting shortly after 4 p.m. local time.
Shortly after they arrived and began their search, officers located six victims, not including the shooter, dead inside the school, according to the RCMP’s release.
Officers also located the shooter, dead from what was believed to be a self-inflicted injury.
Two victims were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
Twenty-five others with non-life-threatening injuries were also assessed and triaged at a local medical centre, according to the RCMP’s release, adding that all remaining students and staff were safely evacuated.
The release also mentioned there were two more victims found deceased in a residence that RCMP said is believed to be connected to the attack at the school.
After discovering the other deceased individuals, RCMP began searching additional homes and properties for any other casualties that may be linked, according to the release.
Police also said in the release that they were working closely with the school district to support a coordinated reunification process for families.
The active shooter alert was lifted by officials at approximately 5:45 p.m. mountain time, who said they “do not believe there were any outstanding suspects or ongoing threats to the public.”
That’s roughly 7:45 p.m. eastern.
At 6:50 p.m. mountain, Tumbler Ridge district school officials provided an update on its website.
That’s roughly 8:50 p.m. eastern.
At 7 p.m. local time, the RCMP updated its original release and said they began deploying additional resources into the Tumbler Ridge community to support the response and investigation, including frontline officers, emergency response teams, B.C.’s RCMP Major Crime unit and Victim Services.
Major Crime also began conducting an investigation to determine the full circumstances of what led to the incident, according to the release.
“This was a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation, and the swift cooperation from the school, first responders, and the community played a critical role in our response,” said RCMP Supt. Ken Floyd in the updated police release post Tuesday evening.
“Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic incident. This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional day for our community, and we are grateful for the cooperation shown as officers continue their work to advance the investigation.”
At 7:45 p.m. local time, Floyd said to reporters that police are “not in a place” to understand the shooter’s motivations. He confirmed the deceased shooter is the same person described in the alert.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to ask British Columbians, to ask all Canadians to wrap the people of Tumbler Ridge, wrap these families with love, not just tonight, but tomorrow and into the future,” he said.
Carney also announced Wednesday morning that flags will fly at half-mast for seven days at all federal government buildings.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa Wednesday morning outside the Liberal caucus, Carney said, “it’s obviously a very difficult day for the nation.”
“This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you,” he said.
– With files from The Canadian Press and Global’s Amy Judd
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