It’s the kind of tragedy Canadians often watch unfold elsewhere. Not at home. Not in a quiet mountain town.
But on Tuesday, gunfire shattered that sense of distance.
Ten people—including the suspected shooter—are dead after an attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia.
Six victims were found inside the school. Two more were discovered at a nearby home linked to the incident.
Another died en route to hospital. At least two others remain in critical condition, while roughly 25 suffered lesser injuries.
Shock In Tumbler Ridge
The suspect, described by police as female—an uncommon detail in North American mass shootings—was found dead.
From what appears to be a self-inflicted wound. Authorities say there’s no ongoing threat.
Tumbler Ridge is small. Just 2,400 people. A single secondary school with 160 students. Snow-covered streets. Pine trees.
The kind of place where everyone knows everyone. “It’s the kind of thing that feels like it happens in other places,” said Premier David Eby.
Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger praised officers who arrived within two minutes, saying their response “no doubt saved lives.”
The school will remain closed as counselling begins.
Canada has endured mass violence before—but rarely like this.
In a country known for relative safety, one painful question lingers: how do you restore peace in a community that has just lost its innocence?
