VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) 鈥� A shooting at a school in remote northern left seven people dead, while two more were found dead at a nearby home, Canadian authorities said Tuesday. A woman believed by police to be the shooter was also found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted wound.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said more than 25 people were wounded, including two who were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries, after the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Tumbler Ridge in the Canadian Rockies is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Vancouver, near the provincial border with . The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
British Columbia Premier David Eby told reporters that police officers reached the school within two minutes.
A video showed students walking out of the school with their hands raised as police vehicles surrounded the building and a helicopter circled overhead.
Police found six people dead, RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd said. A seventh person died while being transported to a hospital, and two more were found dead at a residence the authorities believe was connected to the attack. A suspect appeared to have died of a 鈥渟elf-inflicted injury.鈥�
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 the connection between the shooter and the victims.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said it was 鈥渄evastating鈥� to learn how many had died in the community of 2,700, which he called a 鈥渂ig family.鈥�
鈥淚 broke down,鈥� Krakowka said. 鈥淚 have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every one of the victims.鈥�
The Rev. George Rowe of the Tumbler Ridge Fellowship Baptist Church went to the recreation center where the victims’ families were awaiting more information.
鈥淚t was not a pretty sight. Families are still waiting to hear if it鈥檚 their child that鈥檚 deceased and because of protocol and procedure, the investigating team is very careful in releasing names,鈥� Rowe said. 鈥淭he big thing tonight was my having to walk away and the families still waiting to find out. It is so difficult. Other pastors and counselors are there, so they are not alone.鈥�
Rowe once taught at the high school and his three children graduated from there.
鈥淭o walk through the corridors of that school will never be the same again,鈥� he said.
The school district said the high school and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week.
School shootings are rare in Canada, which has strict gun control laws.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post that he was devastated by the shooting.
鈥淚 join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,鈥� he wrote.
Carney鈥檚 office 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.
Eby said he had spoken to Carney about the 鈥渦nimaginable tragedy.鈥�
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 causing us all to hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 asking the people of British Columbia to look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight.鈥�
Canada鈥檚 government has responded to previous mass shootings with gun control measures, including a ban on all guns it considers assault weapons.
Tuesday’s shootings were Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in and set fires that left another nine dead.
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Gillies reported from Toronto.
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