Canada is mourning after a devastating shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where nine people were killed and at least 25 others injured in what authorities describe as one of the deadliest attacks in the country in decades.

The violence unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in the remote community of roughly 2,400 residents, located about 415 miles north of Vancouver.

Six victims were found dead inside the school, and a seventh person died while being transported to hospital. Authorities later discovered two additional victims at a nearby home believed to be connected to the incident.

Police also located the suspected shooter inside the school. According to officials, the individual appeared to have died from a self-inflicted injury.

Tumbler Ridge Secondary School serves approximately 175 students. One Grade 12 student, Darian Quist, described the chaos to CBC, saying classmates rushed to barricade doors using tables in an effort to protect themselves.

“It felt like I was somewhere that I had only seen across a TV,” Quist said, capturing the disbelief felt across the small town.

Chief Superintendent Ken Floyd of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that the deceased suspect matched the description sent in an emergency alert earlier in the day. The alert described the individual as a “female in a dress with brown hair.”

While authorities believe they know the suspect’s identity, they have not released further details, including whether the person had any direct connection to the school or victims. Floyd acknowledged that uncovering a motive may prove difficult.

“I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why,’ but we will try our best to determine what transpired,” he said during a virtual press conference. “We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy.”

In an official statement, the RCMP confirmed officers entered the school during the active-shooter response, where they encountered multiple victims and located the suspected attacker.

National leaders expressed shock and sorrow as news of the tragedy spread.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called the shootings “horrific” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

“I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence,” he said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby described the event as an “unimaginable tragedy” and urged residents across the province to support the grieving community.

“I’m asking the people of British Columbia to look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight,” Eby said.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada compared to other countries, making the scale of this incident especially shocking. Among the country’s previous major tragedies were the 1989 Montreal shooting, which claimed 14 lives, and the 2020 Nova Scotia rampage that left 22 people dead. Following those events, Canada implemented stricter firearm regulations, including measures targeting military-style weapons.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims or provided detailed information about the firearms used in the attack. Approximately 100 students and staff were evacuated from the secondary school, and local schools — including the town’s elementary school and a nearby college — remained closed for the remainder of the week.

Tumbler Ridge, originally founded as a coal-mining community in the Rocky Mountain foothills near the Alberta border, is known for its quiet surroundings and close-knit population. In a town of this size, the impact of such violence reverberates deeply, touching nearly every family in some way.

Investigators continue to gather evidence and review timelines as they work to piece together what led to the tragedy. For now, the focus remains on supporting survivors, assisting families of the victims, and helping a shaken community begin the long process of healing.