At least nine people were killed and dozens more injured in shootings at a high school and residence in the northeast part of the province of British Columbia, Canadian police said Tuesday. The suspected shooter is dead, officials said.
The school shooting was first reported at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a news release.
Authorities responded to find six people dead inside the school, the RCMP said, and a seventh person died while being transported to a hospital.
Police also responded to a second crime scene at a residence that is believed to have been linked to the school shooting, where two more people were found dead, RCMP reported. The exact nature of their injuries were not immediately disclosed.
Two more people from the shooting at the school were airlifted to area hospitals with serious or life-threatening injuries, police said.
The suspected shooter was found dead in the school from a “self-inflicted injury,” Canadian police said.
About 25 others were assessed at a local medical center for non-life-threatening injuries, the RCMP disclosed.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified a female suspect but would not release a name, and that the shooter’s motive remained unclear. He added that police are still investigating how the victims are connected to the shooter.
Police had earlier asked residents of the town of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, to stay inside as additional police resources are being deployed to the area from neighboring areas. A community-wide alert was canceled at 5:45 p.m., and investigators believed there were no suspects outstanding in the incident, RCMP said.
The Peace River South School District initially said Tuesday that there was a “lockdown and secure and hold” at both the secondary school and the Tumbler Ridge Elementary school. It later said both schools would be closed through the rest of the week.
The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
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.
The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he is suspending a planned trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Munich, Germany. He was set to announce a long-awaited defense industrial strategy in Halifax on Wednesday before heading to Europe for the Munich Security Conference.
“I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.,” Carney said in a statement posted to social media. “My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence.”
David Eby, premier of British Columbia, wrote in his own social media post: “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.”
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