This article includes mentions of suicide.

The nation of Canada is grappling with grief after a tragic shooting unfolded in a remote western town. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed the nation’s sorrow following the shocking event, where a lone shooter claimed the lives of at least eight individuals, with six of those lives lost at a local school. Many others were injured during this distressing incident.

On Wednesday, Canadian police updated the death toll from the mass shooting in the mining town of Tumbler Ridge, confirming eight victims and the shooter, who ended their life by suicide. The shooter has been identified as an 18-year-old woman.

In the heart of this tragedy, six individuals were discovered shot at Tumbler Ridge’s secondary school. Among the victims were an adult female educator, along with three female students and two male students, aged between 13 and 17.

Further compounding the tragedy, an adult female and a male youth were found dead at a local residence. Authorities have identified these individuals as the suspect’s mother and step-brother.

An adult female and a male youth, who police say were the suspect’s mother and step-brother, were found dead at a local residence.

“What happened has left our nation in shock and all of us in mourning,” an emotional Carney told parliament.

Earlier, addressing reporters, he said “the nation mourns” with the town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia after Tuesday’s shooting.

“Canada stands by you.”

Flags will be lowered to half-staff for seven days following the tragedy, among the deadliest shootings in Canada’s history. Messages of support have flooded in from world leaders.

Tumbler Ridge, a tight-knit community of about 2,400 residents, lies in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies near the provincial border with Alberta, hundreds of kilometres from any major city.

Mayor Darryl Krakowka told public broadcaster CBC: “The community is grieving.”

“It’s a big tragedy, we’re one big family here.”

Media began to descend on the remote community, ringed by snow-capped mountains, on Wednesday as police searched for clues.

Suspect found dead at the scene

The suspect, described by police in an initial emergency alert as a “female in a dress with brown hair”, was found dead at the school with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police haven’t yet released identifying information about the shooter or victims, but CBC News reported the suspect’s identity was known to authorities.

“We will get through this. We will learn from this. But right now, it’s a time to come together, as Canadians always do,” Carney said.

He called off a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Britain’s King Charles, the monarch of Canada, said in a statement that he and Queen Camilla were “profoundly shocked and saddened” to learn of the attack.

“In such a closely connected town, every child’s name will be known and every family will be a neighbour,” he said.

School shootings remain rare in Canada compared to the neighbouring United States.

This tragedy ranks among the country’s deadliest, following the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, which claimed 22 lives and led to a ban on many assault weapons.

Schools closed

Tumbler Ridge student Darian Quist told Canadian broadcaster CBC he was in his mechanics class when there was an announcement that the school was in lockdown.

He said initially he “didn’t think anything was going on”, but started receiving “disturbing” photos about the carnage.

“It set in what was happening,” Quist said.

He stayed in lockdown for more than two hours until police stormed in, ordering everyone to put their hands up before escorting them out of the school.

Area schools will remain closed for the rest of the week.

Local journalist Trent Ernst, a former substitute teacher at Tumbler Ridge, expressed shock over the shooting at the school, where one of his children had just graduated.

He noted that school shootings have been a rarity, occurring every few years in Canada compared with the US.

“I used to kind of go: ‘Look at Canada, look at who we are.’ But then that one school shooting every 2.5 years happens,” he told Agence France-Presse.

Pastor George Rowe of Tumbler Ridge Fellowship Church told CBC that it was “very, very difficult to deal with”.

“Everybody here, practically, they know everybody,” he said.

Ken Floyd, commander of the police’s northern district, said Tuesday was “an incredibly difficult and emotional day” and that the investigation was ongoing.

Officers were searching homes and properties in the community to see if there were additional sites connected to the incident.

Readers seeking crisis support can ring Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at beyondblue.org.au and on 1300 22 4636.

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

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