Ten people, including nine victims, and the shooter were killed, and several others were injured in a shooting incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary school in British Columbia, Canada on Tuesday, February 10. The school is located four hours from Prince George, BC, two hours from Dawson Creek and three hours from Grande Prairie, Alta.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer in a press briefing said total ten people were killed in the Tumbler Ridge shooting incident. This includes eight dead at the secondary school (7 victims, the shooter) and two dead inside a residence. RCMP North District Commander says the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooter, who is neutralised, is believed to have been identified, but it won't be released due to "privacy reasons and for the conduct of the investigation."
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RCMP of Tumbler Ridge received the information on the shooting at around 1.20 pm. Both schools in the area were placed under lockdown. A Police Initiated Public Alert (PIPA) was issued as officers responded to the scene. The alert was officially cancelled at 5:45 p.m. as police do not believe there are any outstanding suspects or an ongoing threat to the public.
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.
Six additional individuals, not including the suspect, have been located deceased inside the school. Two victims have been airlifted to hospital with serious or life-threatening injuries. A third victim died while being transported to hospital. Approximately 25 others are being assessed and triaged at the local medical centre for non-life-threatening injuries.
All remaining students and staff were safely evacuated. Police are working closely with the school district to support a coordinated reunification process for families. As part of the ongoing investigation, police have identified a secondary location believed to be connected to the incident, where two additional victims were located deceased in a residence. Officers are conducting further searches of additional homes and properties to determine whether anyone else may be injured or otherwise linked to today's events.
District of Tumbler Ridge issued a statement saying, "Today, our community experienced a deeply distressing incident. Our hearts are with all those affected, and we recognise that many residents may be feeling shocked, scared, and overwhelmed."
"The situation is still unfolding. We ask residents to rely only on official updates from the RCMP and emergency authorities as information is confirmed and shared. We are grateful for the swift response of local emergency services and first responders. Additional supports are already here or on their way to assist the community."
"In the days ahead, we know this will be difficult for many to process. Please check in on one another, lean on available supports, and know that Tumbler Ridge is a strong and caring community. We will get through this together. Further information will be shared as appropriate, once confirmed by the authorities."