Ottawa:
Ten people, including the shooter, were killed and at least 25 were injured in a shooting at a school in Canada’s British Columbia on Wednesday, police said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the suspect, identified as a woman in a dress with brown hair in an earlier alert, has been found dead within the school premises with what is believed to be a self-inflicted injury.
Six people were found dead at the school, one died on the way to the hospital and two were found dead in a residence in the community, police said. Two people were airlifted to hospital with serious or life-threatening injuries.
The Tumbler Ridge police issued a 2 pm alert after the incident around 1.20 pm local time at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, describing the suspect as a female in a dress with brown hair, per Globe and Mail. Residents were asked to shelter in place, lock their doors and refrain from going outside. The shelter-in-place order was lifted around five hours later, allowing people to return to their daily activities.
Cops continue to ascertain if a second suspect was involved and the number of possible victims. In the Tumbler Ridge town of about 2,400 people, additional police resources are being deployed from neighboring areas. The school will remain closed this week.
RCMP’s North District chief superintendent Ken Floyd said around 100 people, including staff and students, were safely evacuated from the school. He added that the police is yet to understand what motivated the shooting. “We have multiple layers of support coming for our students, for our teachers, for our community of Tumbler Ridge,” said Floyd.
Later, a class 9 student told Global News that he had to hide in a closet in a classroom with other children during the incident.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in statement on social media that he was devastated by the shooting in Tumbler Ridge. “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,” he wrote