TUMBLER RIDGE — RCMP say nine people were killed in shootings Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., including the lone suspect who died by suicide. Five of the victims were under 13 years old. Mounties also changed the death toll from 10, saying they originally believed one of the victims airlifted to hospital had died.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern.
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10:30 p.m.
Premier David Eby became emotional while speaking about a 12-year-old girl who he says is clinging to life after the Tumbler Ridge shooting, calling her a “beautiful child who went to school, is full of joy and love.”
Eby spoke at a news conference in Tumbler Ridge with B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger, federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Mayor Darryl Krakowka.
Eby says there are going to be a lot of questions about what happened but the immediate focus is on supporting the families.
He says the government is committed to being there for the community, calling Tumbler Ridge “incredibly strong.”
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9 p.m.
A crowd, including Premier David Eby, has gathered for a vigil in Tumbler Ridge.
The premier stood silently with community members near the centre where support services are being provided, as darkness began to fall over the community.
They held a minute of silence, followed by a prayer.
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6:30 p.m.
British Columbia Deputy Premier Niki Sharma says BC Children’s Hospital is sending a team to Tumbler Ridge to provide youth mental health support for the community among other resources.
Sharma says government is focused on the needs of the community as it is grappling with this senseless loss of life.
Sharma says helping the victims and families on the ground has been the priority, and predicts that there will be many needs in the community for a long period of time.
Premier David Eby and Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger will make a joint appearance in Tumbler Ridge at 6:30 PST, 7:30 MST.
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6:30 p.m.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka is thanking teachers, administrators, students and first responders who selflessly put “their own safety aside to help those in need and to prevent further tragedy.”
A statement from the mayor’s office says plans are underway for a community vigil in the coming days.
Krakowka says the community is a family and encourages residents to check in on one another.
He asks for respect and privacy for all those who have been impacted.
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5:30 p.m.
A book of condolences has been set up at the B.C. legislature building for the victims and families of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting.
The legislature website says members of the public can go to the Hall of Honour between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to sign the book until Feb. 17.
Messages of condolence can also be shared online on the legislature’s website.
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3:20 p.m.
The B.C. government is putting the resumption of its legislative session on hold on Thursday, and instead will proclaim it a day of mourning in the province.
The speech from the throne has been cancelled and at noon the legislature will stand for a moment of silence, while later the lieutenant-governor will deliver a speech dedicated to the people of Tumbler Ridge.
Premier David Eby and Minister of Public Safety Nina Krieger will travel to Tumbler Ridge, where the community is mourning the deaths, including six children under 13 years old.
A joint statement from the three party house leaders in the provincial legislature says the speech cancelled in recognition of the “horrific shooting and tragic loss of life” in the community in northeastern British Columbia.
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3:12 p.m.
RCMP say their officers had a history of attending the family home of the person now identified as the killer of eight people in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says police attended the home of 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar several times and some of the complaints were related to the woman’s mental health.
McDonald says Van Rootselaar was assigned male at birth, but transitioned to female about six years ago and identified as female.
Six of the nine people who died were under the age of 13, while a 39-year-old teacher and Van Rootselaar’s 39-year-old mother were also killed.
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2:45 p.m.
Mounties have revised the death toll in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting to nine.
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says police at first thought that one of the two victims airlifted to hospital had died.
They say seven of the victims are under 13, and a 39-year-old teacher and the 39-year old mother of the shooter were also killed.
Police say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar had two guns with her when she entered the school and that she exchanged gunfire with officers before killing herself.
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2:25 p.m.
The pastor of the New Life Assembly church in Tumbler Ridge says he sheltered at the town’s community centre during the town’s lockdown and was there after as desperate parents searched for their children among survivors.
Gerald Krauss says some parents found their children there, while others did not, and it’s a tragedy that no one ever wants to experience.
The pastor says “everyone knows everyone” in the town.
Krauss says the effects are reverberating through the town’s first responders, too.
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2:14 p.m.
A committee that represents parents and students at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School says its members are navigating shock, sorrow and uncertainty after a mass shooting.
Nicole Noksana, president of the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Committee, says in a statement the pain the community is experiencing is unimaginable.
She says committee members are incredibly grateful to the RCMP, health-care professionals and school staff who acted quickly and courageously in the face of tragedy.
The committee is also asking the public to continue relying on verified information from school and police officials as details of what happened unfold.
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2 p.m.
It’s the first day of spring training for the Toronto Blue Jays in Florida, but manager John Schneider’s first words to the media were for those in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Schneider says his message was from the whole team.
He says he and the team are sending their thoughts and prayers to Tumbler Ridge, and everyone who is affected by the tragedy.
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1:05 p.m.
Tumbler Ridge Secondary School says support services are being set up with the goal to re-establish a sense of safety in the community.
A statement on the school’s website says they recognize the trauma and impact of the loss are immeasurable and there’s no timeline to process the grief.
It says that while “words often feel inadequate in the face of such loss, coming together can help reduce isolation and remind us that we are not alone.”
The school says a space has been created at the Tumbler Ridge Community Centre for residents and mental health professionals will be present to provide support.
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12:10 p.m.
The National Hockey League says it’s overwhelmed by the heartbreaking violence and loss of life in Tumbler Ridge.
“The NHL family is sending our prayers and compassion to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, those who are injured and the entire community as they mourn this unimaginable tragedy, the league said in a statement on social media.”
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11:30 a.m.
The Dene High School in La Loche, Sask., where a teen killed four people a decade ago, has issued a statement offering condolences to those in Tumbler Ridge.
It says in a social media post that it was horrified to learn of the tragic acts of violence.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims, families, community members, and school staff. We stand with them in solidarity.”
Randan Fontaine shot two of his cousins in a home, then killed a teacher and teacher’s aide at the school in 2016.
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10:30 a.m.
Olympic men’s hockey coach Jon Cooper grew up in Prince George, B.C., the closest major city to Tumbler Ridge, and remembers the growth of the community.
Tumbler Ridge was developed in the early 1980s as a purpose-built coal-mining town in northeastern B.C.
He said he stayed in the hotel there while growing up and had friends in what became an “instant town.”
“Obviously, I haven’t been back in a long time. But you think about tragedies that happen … usually they happen somewhere else, so you never really feel the effect of it touching close to home. But this one’s close to home, and my heart goes out to all the families.”
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9:43 a.m.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says flags on federal buildings will be flown at half-mast for seven days to honour the victims of the shooting.
“Parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, are waking up this morning, without one of their loved ones. It is a difficult time. Canada is grieving, grieving with you,” Carney said.
“We will get through this, we will learn from this, but right now, it’s the time to come together as Canadians always do in these situations.”
The prime minister added that he has heard from world leaders offering condolences in this time of mourning.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said it is a time for all Canadians to unite, to support the families and the community at large.
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9:12 a.m.
King Charles said he and Queen Camilla were profoundly shocked and saddened to learn of the attack and expressed their “deepest possible sympathy” to those grieving the loss of their loved ones.
“In such a closely connected town, every child’s name will be known and every family will be a neighbour,” he said in a statement.
“We can only begin to imagine the appalling shadow that has now descended across Tumbler Ridge and our hearts go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by this senseless act of brutal violence.”
The King also thanked the police and staff at the town’s health centre.
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8:15 a.m.
More politicians are offering their sympathies to victims and their loved ones on social media as news of the shootings spreads.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy say they are shocked by the attacks that left 9 dead, including the lone suspect.
Zelenskyy says no one should remain indifferent when children are killed, and that such tragedies should never happen in any country in the world.
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8 a.m.
School district officials say the high school where the shooting took place and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week.
The district says supports will be made available at locations that have not yet been determined.
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7:05 a.m.
Ontario’s premier says the province stands ready to support the people of British Columbia in the wake of the deadly shootings.
Doug Ford says on social media that his thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and everyone affected by the attack in Tumbler Ridge,
Ford says he is praying for the full recovery for all those who were injured.
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3:33 a.m.
Condolences from around the world have started coming for those in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences in a post on social media.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, the injured, and the entire educational community. France stands alongside the Canadian people,” Macron said.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.
The Canadian Press
