By Robert Machado
TUMBLER RIDGE, British Columbia — A devastating school shooting claimed nine lives in this remote northern British Columbia community on Tuesday afternoon, February 10, 2026, in one of the deadliest such incidents in recent Canadian history.
Authorities confirmed the toll late Tuesday night and into Wednesday: six people were killed inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, one died en route to hospital, and two others were found dead in a nearby residence connected to the incident. The suspect, a woman, died inside the school from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her identity has not been released.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation was not involved; this report is being filed from Tumbler Ridge, where the town remains in deep shock and mourning.
The attack began shortly before midday at the school, which serves approximately 160 students in grades 7–12. Gunfire was heard in the corridors, triggering an immediate lockdown. Teachers and students barricaded classrooms and workshops while waiting for police to arrive.
Mechanics teacher Jarbas Noronha sheltered with 15 students in the school’s garage bay. “We moved the heavy workbenches against the doors and told the kids to stay low and quiet,” he said Wednesday morning. “We were ready to run into the yard if the door gave way. It felt like forever before the RCMP came in shouting for us to raise our hands.”
The suspect was located and confirmed deceased inside the building after a search that lasted more than two hours. Police have not yet released details on the firearm(s) used or a confirmed motive, though investigators are examining possible links between the school victims and the two people killed at the residence.
Twenty-five people were injured, several critically; many were airlifted to hospitals in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, and Prince George. As of Wednesday evening, no updated casualty figures had been released.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd, speaking at a news conference, described the scene as “horrific” and said the investigation remains in its early stages. “We have identified the shooter, but we are still working to understand the full sequence of events and why this happened,” he said.
Survivor Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student, described receiving graphic images on students’ phones during the lockdown. “We saw things no one should ever see,” he said quietly outside the community recreation centre, where families gathered for reunions and updates.
Tumbler Ridge, a town of roughly 2,400 people located about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, has effectively shut down. All schools will remain closed through the end of the week. Provincial mental-health teams and trauma specialists have arrived to support students, staff, and residents.
Mayor Darryl Krakowka addressed the community Tuesday evening, visibly emotional: “We are one big family here. Today we lost part of our heart, but we will carry each other through this.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby called it “one of the darkest days in our province’s recent history” and pledged unrestricted provincial resources for recovery efforts. Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled international travel plans and directed the federal public safety minister to travel to the region.
Condolences arrived quickly from across Canada and abroad. King Charles and Queen Camilla described the attack as casting “an appalling shadow” over the town. Messages of support also came from the Prince and Princess of Wales, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among others.
Tonight the recreation centre remains a focal point: families wait for news, volunteers serve food, and small groups hold candlelight vigils in the parking lot. Police continue to guard both the school and the residence as forensic teams work through the night.
In a community where hunting is part of daily life and many households own firearms, residents are already quietly reflecting on safety, grief, and the bonds that hold this isolated mountain town together.
As one longtime resident said outside the centre this afternoon: “We didn’t think this could happen here. But it did. Now we look after each other.”
This community will carry the weight of February 10 for a very long time.