Tumbler Ridge shooting: Timeline of the incident

While nine people were killed, 26 sustained serious injuries, including two with grievous injuries, after an unidentified attacker unleashed sudden gunfire on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) in Northeastern British Columbia province in Canada. The suspected attacker, identified to be female, ended her life in an apparent self-inflicted gun shot.

Canada school shooting: At least 10, including shooter, dead in northeastern British Columbia

Hours after the attack unfolded, Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney said officials are in close contact with their counterparts to ensure the community is fully supported. “The Government of Canada stands with all British Columbians as they confront this horrible tragedy,” he added.

Where is Tumbler Ridge?

Tumbler Ridge is a district municipality with a population of 2,400, as per 2021 census. The small town is located in the foothills of Rocky Mountains in British Columbia Canada.

The mass shooting took place in the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a grade 7-12 school. The school has a total of 175 students, mentions its website. “Due to the tragic events that unfolded in community of Tumbler Ridge today, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week. The district will make supports available and once we have the locations for where the supports will be we will put that information on social media,” the announcement read.

In a statement, the municipality of Tumbler Ridge said: “There are no words sufficient for the heartbreak our community is experiencing tonight.”

What happened in British Columbia?

A female attacker, identified with brown hair, opened gunfire in Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, leading to nine deaths and 26 injured individuals. Police said an alert was issued about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon (February 10, 2026).

Also Read | Police hunt for motive as Canada’s worst mass shooting death toll rises to 23

Upon searches, the police found six people shot dead. A seventh person with a gunshot wound died en route to hospital. Separately, police found two more bodies at a residence in Tumbler Ridge.

Tumbler Ridge student Darian Quist told the public broadcaster CBC that he was in his mechanics class when there was an announcement that the school was in lockdown .He said that initially he “didn’t think anything was going on,” but started receiving “disturbing” photos about the carnage at the school.

He 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. Darian’s mother, Shelley Quist, said she embraced her son when they finally connected after the site was declared safe. He’s not going to be out of my sight for a while now,” Ms. Quist told the CBC.

What has police said?

The Royal Canada Mounted Police did not reveal much details about the attacker’s identity yet. The RCMP’s northern district commander Ken Floyd described the incident as “a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation.” “This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional day for our community, and we are grateful for the cooperation shown as officers continue their work to advance the investigation,” Mr. Floyd said.

The RCMP said officers were searching other homes and properties in the community to see if there were additional sites connected to the incident.

Are mass shootings common in Canada?

While a stricter gun law remains in the paper in Canada, the country has been victim to frequent instances of mass shootings in last few years. The ‘Tumbler Ridge incident’ underlines the imminent threat of unregulated gun sale in the country.

Here are the few deadliest mass shooting incidents in Canada in past few years:

1. Nova Scotia Mass Shooting (April 18-19, 2020): An attacker in a police officer outfit killed 22 people across multiple communities during a 13-hour rampage. This still counts as Canada’s deadliest mass shooting.
2. Toronto Airbnb Shooting (February 1, 2020): A shooting at an Airbnb rental killed 3 people and injured 2 others in Toronto’s CityPlace neighborhood.
3. Faro, Yukon Shootings (April 6, 2021): Four people were shot in Faro, Yukon, with 2 arrests made following the incident.
4. Mississauga Shooting (May 29, 2021): One person was killed and 4 others injured in a shooting outside a Mississauga.
5. Montreal East End Shooting (August 2, 2021): Three people were killed and at least 2 others injured in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies neighborhood.