Canadian PM expresses shock over deadly school shooting in British Columbia

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday expressed shock and mourning over a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and pledged full federal support for the community, according to a social media statement.

The shooting claimed 10 lives, including the gunman. Tumbler Ridge is a remote community of approximately 2,400 people, located about 660 km northeast of Vancouver. The secondary school involved has an enrollment of about 160 students.

Carney said he had reached out to British Columbia Premier David Eby and instructed Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree to coordinate the federal response.

"Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country," Carney said. "The Government of Canada stands with all British Columbians as they confront this horrible tragedy."

Local police received reports of a shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School at approximately 1:20 pm local time (2120 GMT). Officers discovered the bodies of six victims on the school grounds. Another victim died while being transported to the hospital, and two additional bodies were discovered at a nearby residence believed to be connected to the case, according to the police.

Police confirmed the shooter was found dead inside the school from a "self-inflicted injury." Two others with life-threatening injuries were airlifted to a hospital, while 25 more individuals are being assessed for injuries at a local medical center, said the police.

During a virtual news conference on Tuesday evening, police confirmed that roughly 100 students and staff members had been safely evacuated. However, officials declined to specify how many of the deceased were children or adults.

"I think we will struggle to determine the 'why', but we will try our best to determine what transpired," a police spokesperson said, declining to confirm whether the shooter was a minor or an adult for privacy reasons.

Mass school shootings are rare in Canada due to strict gun control laws. This incident marks the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history, following the 1989 Montreal L'Ecole Polytechnique massacre that left 14 dead.

An investigation into the shooter's identity and connection to the school is ongoing, said police.

The Prime Minister's Office also announced that Carney will postpone a defence announcement in Halifax and his planned trip to Germany for the Munich Security Conference.