A gun attack at a small secondary school and a nearby home in northeastern British Columbia left 10 people dead, including the suspected shooter, and more than 25 injured Tuesday, police said, shattering a remote community where many residents know one another by name.
The violence unfolded in Tumbler Ridge, a town of roughly 2,400 people on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and sent frightened students and staff rushing for safety as officers flooded the area. Authorities said the suspected shooter was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators had not announced a motive by late Tuesday, and they did not say whether the shooter had a connection to the school, the victims or the home where additional deaths were found.
Police said the first calls came in during the afternoon as reports spread of shots fired at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a Grade 7-12 school that serves a small student body. Students were later seen leaving the building in a tight line under police direction, some with hands raised as officers secured hallways and classrooms. Within hours, authorities said officers also responded to a residence that they believe was linked to the attack, widening the scene beyond the school grounds and forcing investigators to manage multiple locations at once.
Authorities have not released the names or ages of the dead, and they have not said how many of the victims were students, staff members or community residents. Police said nine people were killed in the shootings and a 10th person died while being transported for medical care. The suspected shooter was also dead, police said, bringing the overall toll to 10. At least two of the injured were airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, while others suffered wounds described by officials as serious but not life-threatening.
An emergency alert issued during the crisis described the suspected shooter as a woman with brown hair wearing a dress, a description that residents said intensified the confusion because most high-profile mass shootings in North America have involved male suspects. Witnesses described hearing loud pops and seeing people run, then watching as ambulances and police vehicles arrived on roads that are normally quiet outside of the school day. Officials did not say what kind of firearm was used, how many shots were fired, or whether the shooter moved between locations during the attack.
Police said they arrived quickly after the initial emergency call and moved to secure the school, sweeping the building and surrounding area as they searched for threats. Officers established a perimeter and began the process of evacuating and accounting for students, while school staff members worked to keep children calm and guide them toward exits. Parents gathered near designated meeting points, many clutching phones and waiting for word as officials coordinated reunification. By evening, the school and surrounding grounds had been cleared, but investigators continued to treat the area as an active crime scene.
At a separate home not far from the school, police said they found two people dead. Authorities have not explained how the home became part of the investigation, whether officers were led there by witnesses, digital tips or direct evidence, or whether the victims there were targeted before or after the school attack. Police said they were still working to determine the sequence of events and to establish how the shooter and victims may have been connected. They also did not say whether there were signs of forced entry at the residence.
With the injured taken to hospitals across the region, officials said medical teams faced added strain because Tumbler Ridge is far from major trauma centers. The town has limited local health resources, and the nearest large hospitals are hours away by road. Air ambulances were used for the most critically injured, while other patients were transported by ground. Authorities did not provide an updated count of those hospitalized late Tuesday, but they said the number of wounded was expected to fluctuate as people sought care and as doctors assessed the severity of injuries.
School District officials said Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and the community’s elementary school would remain closed for the rest of the week. Counselors and crisis-response teams were sent in to support students, staff and families, and community leaders said they were arranging spaces for people to gather, grieve and receive updates. The town’s mayor said the community was in shock and asked residents to support one another as investigators worked through a long list of witnesses and a complicated scene. Clergy members also opened doors for people who did not know where else to go.
National leaders offered condolences as details emerged. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed sympathy for victims’ families and said federal agencies would support local authorities. British Columbia Premier David Eby said the province was focused on assisting the community and ensuring investigators had what they needed. The province’s public safety minister echoed those messages and said officials were closely monitoring the response. Police said they had identified the suspected shooter but would not release a name while notifying relatives and confirming investigative details.
The attack is among Canada’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years, an event that officials and residents said felt especially jarring in a country where large-scale school shootings are rare. Investigators drew comparisons to prior national tragedies as they worked to understand how a small-town school became the center of a mass-casualty event. In the hours after the shooting, officials cautioned against speculation about motive and urged the public to provide any videos, photos or first-hand accounts that might help establish the shooter’s movements and contacts.
Canada has tightened gun laws in recent years, including restrictions and bans targeting certain firearms, after a series of high-profile attacks. Those measures have remained a point of public debate, but officials on Tuesday focused on the immediate crisis rather than policy. Investigators said they were working to trace the weapon involved, determine how it was obtained, and identify whether anyone else helped plan or carry out the attack. They did not say whether the shooter had a criminal record, a history of mental health concerns, or prior contact with police.
In Tumbler Ridge, the immediate aftermath brought a mix of silence and frantic activity. Police tape blocked access to parts of the school grounds and nearby streets, and officers stood watch as forensic teams moved in and out of the building. Residents described seeing helicopters overhead and convoys of emergency vehicles on roads that typically carry only local traffic. Some parents said they learned of the shooting through hurried calls and messages, then drove to the school not knowing if their children were safe. Others waited for word from relatives who work at the school or in local services.
Authorities said the next phase would include autopsies, detailed scene processing at both locations, interviews with survivors and the collection of digital evidence, including any available security video from the school and nearby properties. Investigators also said they would review emergency response timelines, including how quickly officers arrived and how evacuations were handled. Officials did not announce any memorial plans, but local leaders said vigils and gatherings were likely in the days ahead as the town mourns and tries to understand what happened.
By Tuesday night, police said the scenes remained secured and the investigation was continuing, with the public urged to avoid the affected areas as detectives worked. Authorities said they planned to provide additional updates once victim notifications were complete and investigators could confirm more of the timeline, including how the school attack and the deaths at the home are connected.
Author note: Last updated February 11, 2026.