Police say the attacks spanned a high school and a nearby home in northern British Columbia.
TUMBLER RIDGE, CANADA — A mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a connected home left 10 people dead, including the suspected shooter, and more than 25 others injured, police said Wednesday as investigators worked to determine a motive.
The violence jolted a small, remote community in northern British Columbia and triggered a large response from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial officials, and the local school district. Authorities say the suspected shooter, described earlier in a public alert as a female with brown hair wearing a dress, was found dead at the school with what police believe was a self-inflicted injury. Officers also found two people dead at a nearby residence that investigators say is tied to the case.
Police say they received the first report at about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, and the situation unfolded quickly inside a school that serves students in Grades 7 through 12. By early evening, officers said they did not believe there were any other suspects or an ongoing threat to the public. The school district closed both the secondary school and the town’s elementary school for the rest of the week and set up spaces for families to gather as the community waited for answers.
In an update released late Tuesday, the RCMP said officers entered the school during the initial response and located multiple victims. Six people, not including the suspect, were found dead inside the building, police said. Two people were airlifted to a hospital with serious or life-threatening injuries, and a third person died while being transported. About 25 others were assessed at the local medical center for injuries described by police as not life-threatening. All remaining students and staff were evacuated safely, police said, and the RCMP said officers worked with the school district on a reunification process for families.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said officers reached the school within two minutes, calling the day an “unimaginable tragedy” for the community. BC Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger credited the speed of the local RCMP detachment and other first responders with saving lives. Superintendent Ken Floyd, the RCMP’s North District commander, said the event was “rapidly evolving and dynamic” and thanked the school, first responders, and residents for their cooperation as the investigation moved forward.
Investigators have not released the names or ages of the people killed, and officials have urged caution as rumors spread online. Police have also not described the type of firearm used or explained how the suspected shooter obtained it. Floyd said investigators had identified a female suspect but would not release a name as the inquiry continued. Authorities say they are still working to determine how the suspected shooter was connected to the victims and why the attacks happened.
Police say the investigation expanded beyond the school within hours. The RCMP said they identified a secondary location believed to be connected to the incident and found two additional victims dead inside a residence. Officers then began searching other homes and properties to determine whether anyone else was injured or linked to the day’s events. The RCMP said additional resources were sent into the area, including emergency response teams, major crime investigators, and victim services.
For residents of Tumbler Ridge, a town of roughly 2,400 to 2,700 people tucked into the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, the scale of the loss has been overwhelming. The community is more than 1,000 kilometers, about 600 miles, from Vancouver and is known as a place where many people know each other through school, work, and local sports. Mayor Darryl Krakowka said the news was devastating in a town he described as a “big family,” adding that he believed he knew many of those affected.
Witness accounts have been emerging in fragments as families process what happened. A student told Canadian media that classes were locked down for more than two hours and that students later shared photos showing blood inside the school. Video from outside the building showed students leaving in a line with their hands raised as police vehicles surrounded the campus and a helicopter circled overhead. Community leaders said a recreation center became a gathering place as parents and relatives waited for word and tried to connect with loved ones.
The local school district posted repeated updates Tuesday as the situation developed. It first reported a lockdown and “secure and hold” at the secondary school and the elementary school, then later said the active alert had been canceled and the lockdown ended. The district announced the two schools would remain closed for the rest of the week because of the “tragic events” in the community. Another district update said a space at the Tumbler Ridge Community Centre would be open for people to gather and that mental health professionals would be present.
National leaders responded with condolences as the news spread across Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was devastated and offered sympathy to families and friends who lost loved ones. His office said he postponed planned travel and events as the country reacted. Provincial and federal officials said support teams were being arranged for families and for a community facing a level of trauma rarely seen in Canada, where school shootings are uncommon compared with the United States.
The attack has also revived questions about public safety in rural areas where gun ownership is more common for hunting and outdoor work. Canada has strengthened firearms laws in recent years, including restrictions on certain weapons and tighter rules around handguns, though debates over how far to go have remained politically contentious. Investigators and policymakers have stressed that it is too early to draw conclusions in this case until police determine the sequence of events and how the weapon was obtained and used.
For now, the central facts remain grim and limited. Police say the public alert was canceled at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday after officers concluded there were no outstanding suspects and no ongoing threat. BC RCMP Major Crime has taken over the investigation and said more updates will come as information becomes available. Authorities have not said when victims will be formally identified or when a detailed timeline will be released, and they have cautioned that some details may depend on notifying relatives and completing forensic work.
Author note: Last updated February 11, 2026.