On February 10, 2026, the quiet mountain town of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia was shattered by a mass shooting that left ten people dead, including the suspected shooter, and at least 25 others wounded. The violence unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School—a small institution with just 175 students serving grades 7 through 12—and at a nearby home believed to be connected to the attack. The tragedy marks one of the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history, a country where such events are, thankfully, rare.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), officers responded to a call at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time, arriving at the school within two minutes. Their swift action likely saved lives, but the toll was already staggering. Inside the school, six victims were found dead. A seventh victim died en route to the hospital, and two more were discovered at a residence nearby. The lone suspect, identified as a woman, was found dead inside the school from an apparent self-inflicted injury. The RCMP has not released her name, and her motive remains a mystery as of February 11, 2026.
More than 25 people suffered injuries, with two airlifted to hospitals in critical condition and others treated locally for non-life-threatening wounds. The trauma rippled through the close-knit community of roughly 2,700 residents, many of whom knew the victims personally. Mayor Darryl Krakowka, visibly shaken, told reporters, “I broke down. I probably know every one of the victims.” He described the loss as “devastating” for a town he called a “big family.”
For students and parents, the day was a nightmare that felt surreal. Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student at the school, recounted the harrowing experience to CBC, saying, “Shortly after I got to my class at 1:30 p.m., an alarm sounded in the hallways with instructions to close the doors because of a lockdown. We barricaded ourselves inside for more than two hours until police escorted us out.” His mother, Shelley Quist, stayed on the phone with him throughout the ordeal, listening as police finally arrived to bring the students to safety. “That’s when I left home,” she said. “I literally almost ran over there.”
In the aftermath, the Peace River South School District closed both the secondary and elementary schools for the rest of the week. Trauma-informed counselors and psychiatric liaison nurses were deployed to support students, staff, and families. Krieger, a spokesperson for the education ministry, emphasized the depth of the community’s pain: “There are no words to describe the pain being carried tonight by parents, families and loved ones of the victims.”
The RCMP’s rapid response and the coordinated efforts of emergency services were widely praised. Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters that investigators had identified the shooter but warned that they might “struggle” to ever determine a clear motive. Floyd also noted that police were still working to understand how the victims were connected to the shooter, underscoring the complexity of the investigation.
For many in Tumbler Ridge, the shooting was unimaginable—a horror they’d only seen on the news from other places. British Columbia’s Premier David Eby articulated this sense of disbelief: “This is the kind of thing that feels like it happens in other places, and not close to home in a way that this feels like for many British Columbians and Canadians.” Eby urged everyone to “look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight” and said officials would review the tragedy in the coming weeks to see what could be learned, but for now, the focus was on supporting families and the community.
Prime Minister Mark Carney also responded swiftly, expressing his devastation and suspending a planned trip to Halifax and Munich. “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 in a statement on social media. Carney had been scheduled to announce a defense industrial strategy in Halifax before traveling to Europe for the Munich Security Conference, but he postponed these commitments to address the national tragedy.
The shockwaves extended beyond Tumbler Ridge. Nicole Noksana, chair of the parent advisory council for both Tumbler Ridge Elementary and Secondary, urged families to check in with their children and rely on official information as more details emerged. “There are no words that can ease the fear and pain that events like this cause in a school community,” she wrote in a statement to CBC News. The community center became a gathering place for families awaiting news, with pastors and counselors on hand to offer comfort. Pastor George Rowe, who once taught at the school, said, “To walk through the corridors of that school will never be the same again.”
For the people of Tumbler Ridge, the tragedy is intensely personal. Many residents have lived in the town for decades and know each other well. “I have lived here for 18 years,” said Mayor Krakowka. “I probably know every one of the victims.” The sense of loss is palpable, and the path to healing will be long and difficult. The school, once a place of learning and laughter, is now marked by an unthinkable act of violence.
The incident is Canada’s deadliest mass shooting since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that claimed nine more lives. In response to previous tragedies, the Canadian government has enacted stricter gun control measures, including a broadened ban on assault-style weapons. But for now, the focus in Tumbler Ridge is on mourning, supporting survivors, and beginning the slow process of recovery.
Mental health resources have been made readily available, with provincial hotlines and counseling services mobilized to help those affected. The message from officials and community leaders is clear: support each other, seek help if needed, and hold loved ones close. As Grade 12 student Darian Quist put it, “We are going to be able to get through this.”
As the investigation continues and the community grieves, Tumbler Ridge stands united in the face of heartbreak, determined to support one another and find hope amid tragedy.