A woman has been linked to a shooting with at least nine dead at a school and nearby home in western Canada.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said at least 25 others were injured in both incidents. Officers have not said how many victims were children.
A female suspect was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They were initially described as “a female in a dress with brown hair”, in a public alert to local mobile phones.
After receiving reports of a shooting at 1.20pm (20.20pm UK time) on Tuesday, officers discovered six people dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School – another victim died before reaching hospital.
Two more people were found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident.
Police Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters the suspect had been identified, but their motive was unclear, and he declined to release a name. He added that officers were still investigating their potential connection to the victims.
Footage after the shooting showed a helicopter landing at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and people leaving the school car park, with some jogging and holding their hands in the air.
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The mayor of Tumbler Ridge, Darryl Krakowka, said he broke down at hearing the news, and compared the community of around 2,400 people with a “big family”, adding: “I probably know every one of the victims.”
At a news conference, British Columbia Premier David Eby said it was an “unimaginable tragedy”.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney described the shooting as “horrific” and said his “prayers and deepest condolences” are with the families and friends of the victims.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today,” he added in a statement.
Tumbler Ridge is a small town in northeastern British Columbia, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
The local government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students, aged between 12 and 18.
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Among those injured, at least two people are described as having serious or life-threatening injuries.
Officials said the town’s small police force was on the scene within two minutes of receiving a call, and that victims were still being assessed hours after the incident.
The shooting ranks among the deadliest in Canada’s history.
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In April 2020, a man in police uniform and driving a fake police car shot and killed 22 people in the province of Nova Scotia before he was shot dead by officers.
In December 1989, a gunman killed 14 female students at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, before taking his own life.
