Tumbler Ridge Grapples with Devastating School Shooting

TUMBLER RIDGE (Azat TV) – The tight-knit community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is grappling with an “unimaginable tragedy” after a school shooting on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, claimed the lives of 10 people, including the suspect, and left more than two dozen hospitalized. The incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a facility serving approximately 160 students, has been described by Premier David Eby as one of the deadliest events of its kind in Canadian history.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his devastation, cancelling an upcoming trip to the Munich Security Conference in Germany to address the crisis at home. He stated he joins Canadians “in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today.” International leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, have also extended their condolences, highlighting the global shock at the violence.

Community Devastated by Tumbler Ridge Tragedy

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School around 1:20 PM local time. Premier Eby confirmed a swift two-minute police response. Six victims and the suspect were found dead inside the school, one person died en route to the hospital, and two more were discovered deceased inside a residence. Police believe the female suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though her identity and motive remain undisclosed as investigations are ongoing.

The small, remote town of Tumbler Ridge, with a population of about 2,400, is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, approximately 600 miles north of Vancouver. It is recognized by UNESCO for its internationally significant geological heritage. Mayor Darryl Krakowka, who has lived in the town for 18 years, shared his profound grief, stating he likely knew every one of the victims in what he called a “big family.”

Swift Response Amidst Unfolding Chaos

Students and staff at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which serves grades seven through 12, experienced a harrowing lockdown for over two hours. Darian Quist, a 12th-grade student, recounted receiving ‘disturbing’ photos of the carnage before police stormed his classroom, escorting students out with their hands raised. His mother, Shelley Quist, witnessed the intense emergency response from her office at the local hospital, describing ‘RCMP everywhere, fire, ambulances’ and an officer crouched with his gun drawn in the parking lot.

Pastor George Rowe of the Tumbler Ridge Fellowship Baptist Church described the ‘difficult’ scenes at the recreation center where victims’ families awaited news. Due to protocol, official identification of the deceased was delayed, prolonging the anguish for many families. Tumbler Ridge Elementary and Secondary Schools will remain closed for the remainder of the week.

Canada’s Strict Gun Laws and Historical Context

The shooting marks one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history, and the second-deadliest school shooting, trailing only the 1989 L’Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, which killed 14 women. Canada maintains strict gun laws, including mandatory licensing, registration, safety courses, and a national freeze on handgun sales since 2022, which generally results in fewer instances of mass violence compared to the United States. Despite these regulations, the nation has experienced several tragic mass killings over the years, including a stabbing spree in Saskatchewan in 2022 and other isolated incidents involving firearms and vehicles.

The Tumbler Ridge community now faces a long process of healing and remembrance, as local officials and residents begin to process the profound impact of this rare and devastating act of violence within their close-knit population.