Ten people have died and dozens have been injured in a fatal shooting at a secondary school in Canada – with students instructed to close classroom doors as the building went into lockdown
A student has recalled the terrifying moment he barricaded himself inside a classroom during a fatal shooting that left 10 dead and dozens injured in a remote Canadian town.
Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, said he got to class at around 1:30pm local time when an alarm began blaring through the hallways with instructions to close the doors as the school was plunged into lockdown. Darian said the doors were closed for a while before he and his classmates realised something was wrong.
At least 10 people were killed and 25 have been injured in the incident which saw a shelter-in-place alert issued describing the suspect as a “female in a dress with brown hair”.
Darian says he was receiving photos on his phone from the scene. “We got tables and barricaded the doors” for over two hours, he told CBC Radio West. Police later arrived to escort the students out of the building. Once outside, Darian met with his mother Shelley at a local community centre.
Shelley was at work when a colleague asked if she knew what was happening at the high school. From her office, she could see “RCMP everywhere, fire, ambulances”. The mum said colleagues had to stop her from running to the school herself. “There was an RCMP crouched down in our parking lot with his gun drawn,” she added.
Shelley immediately called Darian and could hear police “kicking” her son’s classroom door down. “That’s when I left home,” she said. “We live very close; a block away from the community centre. I literally almost ran over there.” The mum said she didn’t accept that her son was okay until she actually saw him.
Six of the victims were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, while a seventh person died on the way to hospital, police said. The suspect’s body was also found at the school with a self‑inflicted injury.
Two more people were found dead at a nearby home in an incident police believe is connected to the shootings, but “are not in a position to provide that definitively”. Authorities say they know the attacker’s identity but have not revealed their identity for privacy reasons and to protect integrity investigation.
School District 59, where Tumbler Ridge Secondary School is located, said the school will remain closed for the rest of the week.
“Due to the tragic events that unfolded in community of Tumbler Ridge today, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week,” a statement read.
“The district will make supports available and once we have the locations for where the supports will be we will put that information on social media.”
Following the tragedy, Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney offered his condolences in a post on X. “I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence,” he wrote.
“I 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. Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country — our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other.”
“I have connected with Premier Eby to express my condolences, and with the Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, who is coordinating the federal response.”
“Our officials are in close contact with their counterparts to ensure the community is fully supported as best we can. The Government of Canada stands with all British Columbians as they confront this horrible tragedy.”
