3 months ago
1
Police person identified the fishy successful a school shooting successful Canada arsenic an 18-year-old who had anterior intelligence wellness calls to her location and who was recovered dormant pursuing the onslaught that killed 9 radical successful a distant portion of British Columbia.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald connected Wednesday (February 11, 2026) said Van Rootselaar had a past of intelligence wellness interaction with constabulary and that the suspect’s parent and stepbrother were besides recovered dormant successful a location adjacent the school.
The motive remained unclear.
More than 25 radical were wounded connected Tuesday (February 10, 2026) successful the onslaught successful the tiny upland assemblage of Tumbler Ridge, including 2 with life-threatening injuries who were airlifted for aesculapian care, constabulary said.
The colony of 2,700 radical successful the Canadian Rockies is much than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) northeast of Vancouver, adjacent the provincial borderline with Alberta.
“Parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers successful Tumbler Ridge volition aftermath up without idiosyncratic they love. The federation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said arsenic helium arrived successful Parliament.
The onslaught was Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, erstwhile a gunman successful Nova Scotia killed 13 radical and acceptable fires that near different 9 dead.
Carney said flags astatine authorities buildings volition beryllium flown astatine half-staff for 7 days and added: “We volition get done this.” Shelley Quist said her neighbour crossed the thoroughfare mislaid her 12-year-old. “We heard his mom. She was successful the thoroughfare crying. She wanted her son’s body,” Quist said.
Quist said her 17-year-old son, Darian, was connected lockdown successful the schoolhouse for much than 2 hours. The provincial authorities website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School arsenic having 175 students successful grades 7 to 12.
“The people sevens and eights, I think, were upstairs successful the library, and that’s wherever the shooter went,” she said. Her lad was successful the room conscionable 15 minutes anterior to the attack.
Quist was moving astatine the infirmary down the thoroughfare erstwhile the shooting started.
“I was astir to spell tally down to the school, but my co-worker held maine back. And past I was capable to get Darian connected the telephone to cognize helium was OK,” she said.
School shootings are uncommon successful Canada, which has strict gun-control laws. The authorities has responded to erstwhile wide shootings with gun-control measures, including a precocious broadened prohibition connected each guns it considers battle weapons.
British Columbia Premier David Eby told reporters that constabulary reached the schoolhouse wrong 2 minutes.
A video showed students walking retired with their hands raised arsenic constabulary vehicles surrounded the gathering and a chopper circled overhead.
Police recovered six radical dead, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Ken Floyd said. A seventh idiosyncratic died portion being transported to a hospital, and 2 much were recovered dormant astatine a residence that authorities judge was connected to the attack.
Mr. Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified the fishy but would not merchandise a name. He said constabulary were investigating the transportation betwixt the shooter and the victims.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said it was “devastating” to larn however galore had died successful the community, which helium called a “big family”.
“I broke down,”Mr. Krakowka said. “I person lived present for 18 years. I astir apt cognize each 1 of the victims.”
The schoolhouse territory said the precocious schoolhouse and simple schoolhouse volition beryllium closed for the remainder of the week.
Mr. Carney’s bureau said helium called disconnected a planned travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Munich, Germany. He had been acceptable to denote a long-awaited defence concern strategy connected Wednesday (February 11, 2026) successful Halifax earlier heading to Europe for the Munich Security Conference.
Mr. Eby connected Tuesday (February 10, 2026) said helium had spoken to the Prime Minister astir the “unimaginable tragedy”.
“I cognize it’s causing america each to hug our kids a small spot tighter tonight,” helium said. “I’m asking the radical of British Columbia to look aft the radical of Tumbler Ridge tonight.”
