A recent tragic incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northeast British Columbia unfolded into Canada’s most lethal school shooting in nearly four decades. The chaos endured for about two hours as students secured classroom doors with furniture to protect themselves from the assailant.
Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student, was attending a mechanics class when the lockdown was initiated. “At first, I just thought it was a precaution,” he recounted, “but as things progressed, I realized something was off.”
Quist and his classmates, along with their teacher, remained in the classroom for over two hours, until police arrived. Interestingly, he didn’t hear the gunfire itself.
The atmosphere was certainly charged, described by Quist as “tense,” yet the students made efforts to support each other. During the lockdown, he received disturbing images via his phone. “Once I started seeing those pictures, it hit me hard,” he shared. “It was just unsettling, seeing the blood and chaos.”
With around 14 to 15 students in his class, their teacher efficiently organized them, moving tables against the door and formulating an escape plan. “When the police finally came in, they yelled ‘Hands up!’ and we were quickly ushered out,” Quist recalled.
Police were strategically positioned around the school, scrutinizing for any remaining threats as he exited. Video captured by others showed students with their arms raised as they left the building.
British Columbia’s Premier, David Eby, stated that officers responded within two minutes of the emergency call. Inside the school, six victims, including the suspected shooter, were found deceased. Additionally, two bodies were located at a nearby residence, likely connected to the attack, while one more person succumbed to injuries en route to the hospital. In total, 25 individuals were injured.
Details about the shooter remain sparse; it’s reported that she was a woman dressed in a dress. The nature of the deaths indicated self-inflicted gunshot wounds, although the motive has yet to be unveiled. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer Ken Floyd expressed, “We are following leads but figuring out the ‘why’ might be challenging.”
The local authorities are clearly affected by these events. Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka expressed his emotional turmoil upon learning about the tragedy, stating, “It’s incredibly devastating. I know many of the victims. I’ve lived here for 18 years.”
This incident marks the most deadly school shooting in Canada since 2020, surpassing an event in Nova Scotia where nine were killed. It also stands as the worst school shooting in the country since 1989 when 14 individuals lost their lives at L’École Polytechnique in Montreal.
Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, serving around 160 students aged 12 to 18, will be closed for the remainder of the week.
