VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead including the suspect, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident, Canadian authorities said Tuesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said more than 25 people are injured, including two who were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries, after the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
School shootings are rare in Canada.
The town of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) north of Vancouver, near the border with Alberta. The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified the shooter but would not release a name, but that the suspect's motive remained unclear.
“We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy,” Floyd said.
He added that police are still investigating how the victims are connected to the shooter.
“As part of the initial response to the active shooting, police entered the school to locate the threat. During the search, officers located multiple victims. An individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self‑inflicted injury,” RCMP said in a statement.
The statement added that seven people including the suspect were found dead at the scene, and an eight died while being transported to a hospital.
The Peace River South School District said earlier Tuesday that there was a “lockdown and secure and hold” at both the secondary school and the Tumbler Ridge Elementary school.
Larry Neufeld, the member of the legislature for Peace River South, told reporters at the legislature that an “excess” of resources, including RCMP and ambulance support, have been sent to the community.
He said he didn’t want to release any more information over concerns that it might jeopardize the safety of the ongoing operation.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement: “Our hearts are in Tumbler Ridge tonight with the families of those who have lost loved ones. Government will ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days, as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy.”
Canada’s government has responded to previous mass shootings with gun control measures, including a recently broadened ban on all guns it considers assault weapons.
Tuesday's shootings were Canada's deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left another nine dead.
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Gillies reported from Toronto.
