BURST
Eight people are dead, two are in hospital and 25 injured after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in northeastern B.C. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
The shooting unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where six people were later found dead. Two others were flown to hospital, while 25 were assessed for minor injuries.
The shooter also died from a self-inflicted injury inside the school. Two other victims were found dead inside a home nearby, bringing the total number of fatalities to nine.
Read more of our coverage here:
• Tumbler Ridge: How a day of horror and tragedy unfolded
• In Tumbler Ridge, shock, grief and an eerie silence
• What we know about the Tumbler Ridge mass shooter
• What school shooting history tells us following Tumbler Ridge tragedy
• What the world is saying about the devastating B.C. mass shooting
• Mass shootings are rare in Canada. Here are the deadliest in our country’s history
Friday, Feb. 13
Canada’s prime minister to visit Tumbler Ridge Friday
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit Tumbler Ridge today to attend a vigil for the victim’s of Tuesday’s mass shooting.
The prime minister has invited leaders of all parties to accompany him, “should they wish to do so,” read a statement from the PMO.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said Wednesday that plans were being made for a community vigil.
Shortly after the shooting happened, Carney posted a statement saying he was devastated.
“My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence,” he said on Tuesday.
“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. Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country – our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other.”
Tumbler Ridge’s Maya Gebala, 12 still fighting for life in hospital
Eight people are dead, two are in hospital and 25 injured after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday. Two other kids — Maya Gebala and Paige Hoekstra — were airlifted to a Vancouver hospital. Gebala remains in critical condition while Hoekstra has said she is recovering after surgery.
Gebala, who has been described as a strong and brave hockey player and good friend, is fighting for her life at B.C. Children’s Hospital after being shot in the head and neck.
According to a GoFundMe campaign update, organized by Krysta Hunt for her cousin, Maya’s mother Cia Edmonds, the girl has moved, prompting the family to seek another opinion than the bleak prognosis they have been given.
Hunt wrote that even a kick or a hand movement is something that keeps up their spirits. Hunt said they are “incredibly grateful” for the support from all over the world.
Hunt told Global News that Maya “tried to lock the door of the library from the shooter to save the other kids. And she tried to lock it and then ran under a table.” That was when she was shot in the head and neck. A friend carried her out of the school where she was airlifted to B.C. Children’s Hospital.
More to come…
Thursday, Feb. 12
Police confirm names and ages of victims
The B.C. RCMP on Thursday released the official confirmation of the people who died in the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
In a news release, RCMP said as the community continues to process this profound loss, it remains essential that the focus stays on the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy.
Victims from Tumbler Ridge Secondary School:
• Abel Mwansa, 12
• Ezekiel Schofield, 13
• Kylie Smith, 12
• Zoey Benoit, 12
• Ticaria Lampert, 12
• Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39
Victims from residence on Fellers Avenue:
• Emmett Jacobs, 11
• Jennifer Jacobs, 39
B.C. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald offered condolences to the families of the victims and to the entire Tumbler Ridge community.
“This is a time of deep sorrow, and many are still processing the weight of this tragedy. We will continue to support the families, respect their wishes, and walk with the community as it begins the long journey toward healing,” he said in a statement.
To learn more about the victims, read our full story here.
—Tiffany Crawford
A trail of police calls, ‘violent’ online activity, and gun access for Tumbler Ridge mass shooter
Jesse Van Rootselaar grew up moving between provinces, her life marked by court battles and a troubled history with mental health. By the time she turned 18, she had access to firearms in the northeastern community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C. — a failure, critics say, of Canada’s firearms licensing system.
On Tuesday, RCMP say the 18-year-old went on a shooting rampage, targeting students and relatives at both her home and a local high school, killing eight people, including her mother, stepbrother. The shooter then took her own life. Authorities recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene.
The mountain-surrounded town of roughly 2,400 residents is small and heavily tied to hunting and outdoor life. Brian Landry, an RCMP-certified firearms instructor who works with residents in Tumbler Ridge, Dawson Creek and surrounding areas, said the system “failed” in Van Rootselaar’s case.
“An individual with mental illness slipped through the cracks. This person should have never been in a place where they had access to firearms,” Landry said.
In Canada, youth aged 12 to 17 can apply for a minor’s firearms licence with parental consent, personal references and a medical background check. This allows them to borrow non-restricted firearms for approved purposes such as target practice and hunting, which are commonplace in B.C.’s rural towns. At age 18, licence holders must reapply for a standard possession and acquisition licence.
—Sarah Grochowski
Tumbler Ridge RCMP officers who responded to shooting acted ‘with immeasurable bravery’
The RCMP has shared the names of the four officers who responded to Tuesday’s mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge.
The four officers were Sgt. Bill Hughes (21 years of service), Const. Jonathan Kohut (eight years of service), Const. Tyler Noon (11 years of service), and Const. Nick Gachter (five years of service.)
“These members acted with immeasurable bravery in the face of extreme violence while surrounded by unfathomable trauma,” read a statement shared by Staff Sgt. Kris Clark.
The statement goes on to say the four officers were debriefed as part of evidence collection following Tuesday’s shooting, and then provided supports and resources. The quartet have been released from duty “to decompress, process and recover.”
“It is important that the officers are given the time and resources they need to ensure their wellness prior to returning to service, and their continued wellness is a top priority.”
Clark said the B.C. RCMP “quickly cycled additional resources” to Tumbler Ridge, to ensure the detachment is staffed adequately. Other RCMP officers from across the province have also volunteered to be deployed to Tumbler Ridge “while the officers posted there take the time necessary to heal.”
—Stephanie Ip