Canada: At least 10 dead in British Columbia school mass shooting
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: At least 10 people, including the shooter, died and 27 more were wounded in a school mass shooting incident in northeastern British Columbia in Canada, the media reported on Wednesday.
The rare incident took place at a secondary school building in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Tuesday.
The shooting left eight dead, including the suspect, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident, officials said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said more than 25 people are injured, including two with life-threatening injuries, after the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
The town, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is more than 1,000 kms (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 the suspect’s motive remained unclear.
“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.
Six more individuals, excluding the suspect, were found deceased inside the school. Two victims were airlifted to hospital with serious or life-threatening injuries. A third victim died while being transported to hospital.
The Peace River South School District said earlier on 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 jeopardise the safety of the ongoing operation.
