BURST
The body of Abel Mwansa Jr., one of the students killed in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting earlier this month, was buried Monday in his native Zambia.
The 12-year-old’s funeral service was held Monday in Kitwe in Copperbelt province, a mining region in northern Zambia.
His father, Abel Mwansa Sr., said the family is “eternally grateful” to the Canadian and Zambian governments for their assistance in returning the body to Zambia. He also thanked MP Bob Zimmer, who represents Tumbler Ridge, the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council and Red Cross Canada, among many others.
The body arrived Saturday in a plane provided by the Zambian government.
In a post, Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it worked closely with the government of Canada to facilitate the repatriation process and shared its condolences during this “profoundly difficult time.”
Canada’s charge d’affairs Corry Van Gaal, who was part of the delegation that received the casket, expressed her condolences to Zambians mourning the loss of a “special soul” and to Canadian families mourning the loss of eight people.
Mwansa was one of six people — two boys, three girls and an educational assistant — killed in Tumbler Ridge Secondary school on Feb. 10. The shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found dead inside the school from a self-inflicted injury. Police also found the shooter’s mother and half-brother dead in a home nearby.
The Mwansa family moved to Tumbler Ridge in 2023 for career opportunities, according to The Canadian Press.
Abel was described as a hardworking boy with a sunny smile who enjoyed school.
In earlier posts, Mwansa said he feels as if his son is still alive and he’d see him at church or the community centre. The grief feels “almost unbearable” and “can feel isolating, especially when the world seems to keep moving while yours has shifted completely.”