TUMBLER RIDGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA — RCMP say eight people, including the female suspect, are dead after a shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., while two more bodies were found at a home believed to be connected to the incident.
RCMP North District Commander Supt. Ken Floyd said police are “not in a place” to understand why the shootings took place at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a residence in the community in B.C.’s Peace region, and he can’t give the ages of the victims.
Floyd said more than 25 people were hurt at the school, including two with life-threatening injuries, while an alert for residents to shelter in place was lifted after police determined there were no other suspects.
He said he can’t provide details about the shooter, who was found dead at the school with what are believed to be self-inflicted injuries, but confirms they are the same person described in the alert as a “female in a dress with brown hair.”
Floyd said about 100 students and staff were evacuated from the school, after police received a report of an active shooter around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
He said in a briefing that police who entered the school encountered a “very dramatic scene,” finding six victims dead, as well as the body of the shooter, while another person died on their way to hospital.
Two seriously wounded people were airlifted to hospital, while about two dozen others were assessed and triaged at the local medical centre.
Floyd said that without the support of professionals at the clinic “this would have been a far worse outcome.”
Police say they identified a secondary location believed connected to the incident, and two people were found dead inside the residence.
“We are not in a place now to be able to understand why and what may have motivated this tragedy,” Floyd said.
“This was a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation, and the swift co-operation from the school, first responders, and the community played a critical role in our response.”
The community was locked down for several hours as police searched for a possible second shooter, but Floyd said there were no outstanding suspects.
Supports are on the way for students, teachers front line workers and others impacted by what happened.
“At the end of the day, every citizen and every person in Tumbler Ridge, including our first responders, are going home to their families to try and explain this, and sometimes there’s just not a way to explain this, so we’ll continue providing that support however it’s needed.”
Larry Neufeld, MLA for Peace River South, which includes Tumbler Ridge, said he was devastated.
“I don’t know that my thoughts and prayers are enough for the people of Tumbler Ridge. I have given them everything I have in that respect and I only wish I had a hundred times more to give, but it would never be enough. It’s beyond devastating.”
Tumble Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said his heart was with the residents of his community.
He was speaking from Tumbler Ridge Town Hall, where he had been sheltering with about a dozen people.
He said he had been in contact with his two adult sons, including the one who works in Tumbler Ridge. “He’s texting me to make sure that I’m OK. I have an older son, who lives down south, and he has done the same thing.”
B.C. Premier David Eby said on social media that “our hearts are in Tumbler Ridge tonight with the families of those who have lost loved ones.”
“Government will ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days, as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy,” he said.
A statement from the District of Tumbler Ridge encouraged people to rely only on official statements for updates.
“We are grateful for the swift response of local emergency services and first responders. Additional supports are already here or on their way to assist the community,” the statement says.
“In the days ahead, we know this will be difficult for many to process. Please check in on one another, lean on available supports, and know that Tumbler Ridge is a strong and caring community. We will get through this together.”
— Ashley Joannou and Nono Shen in Vancouver and Wolfgang Depner in Victoria
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2026.
The Canadian Press
