The shooting was reported at 1:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday. When the first officers arrived at the school, they were shot at, Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told a news conference.
The shooter, who police describe as an 18-year-old woman who was assigned male at birth, was later found dead and is believed to have taken her own life.
Six victims were found dead at the school: a 39-year-old teacher, three twelve-year-old girls, and two boys, aged twelve and thirteen respectively. In addition, the 18-year-old's mother and eleven-year-old stepbrother were found dead in their home.
A total of eight people were killed, not counting the shooter. Another 27 people were injured.
Unknown motive
The motive for the crime is not known.
Two firearms were found at the school, neither of which was registered to the shooter, whose gun license expired in 2024.
Dwayne McDonald said police had been to the perpetrator's home on several occasions in recent years after receiving reports of mental illness. The 18-year-old had dropped out of school four years ago.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney postponed his trip to the Munich Security Conference, which he was due to attend on Wednesday, because of the attack.
"It's a very difficult day for the nation," Carney said.
He was visibly moved when he met with reporters on Wednesday morning and expressed his condolences to those affected by the attack, CBC reports.
"The nation mourns with you. Canada stands with you," Carney said.
Thanked for support
He thanked everyone who had contacted him to express their condolences, including Britain's King Charles, and said that all federal government buildings in the country would fly flags at half-mast.
Sweden's King Carl Gustaf has also sent his condolences.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said doctors and nurses from other communities would join in to help local healthcare workers. Students who were at the school will receive crisis support.
"We will get through this," he said, according to CBC.
Corrected: An earlier version stated the wrong age of the victims.
Facts: Deadliest attack in Canada since 1989
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Mass shootings are more rare in Canada than in the United States, but the country has been hit by several violent incidents in recent decades. Here are the worst.
April 2025, Vancouver.
A man drives a car into a crowd at a festival. Eleven people die and the 30-year-old driver is charged but deemed too seriously mentally ill to stand trial.
September 2022, Weldon, Saskatchewan.
A 32-year-old man stabs eleven people to death and injures nearly 20 at 13 locations in smaller communities in and around Weldon.
April 2020, Nova Scotia.
A 51-year-old man kills at least 16 people when he disguises himself as a police officer and goes around shooting people in several communities in the province of Nova Scotia. He also sets fire to at least five buildings and a number of vehicles.
January 2017, Quebec.
A man shoots six people dead in a mosque. He is later sentenced to life in prison.
December 2014, Edmonton.
A man kills six adults, one of whom was his wife, and two children before taking his own life.
April 1996, Vernon, British Columbia
A 30-year-old man shoots his ex-wife and eight of her relatives who had gathered for a wedding. He then took his own life. The man's motive is believed to be to prevent his ex-wife or her sisters from getting married.
December 1989, Montreal.
A 25-year-old man shoots 14 female students and injures more than a dozen others at Polytechnique Montréal University. The man had a stated goal of fighting feminism and specifically targeted female students. He shot himself after the attack.
Sources: BBC and Reuters
