A horrific tragedy has struck the town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, Canada, where a shooting at a secondary school and a nearby home has left 10 people dead, including the suspected female shooter. The violence began at approximately 1:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, when reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School triggered an immediate police response and a community-wide emergency alert.
More than 25 others were injured during the rampage, with several victims in critical condition after being airlifted to specialized hospitals in the region.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers arrived on the scene within two minutes, discovering six victims deceased inside the school and another who died while being transported to the hospital. Two additional victims were found at a local residence believed to be linked to the attacker.
The suspect, described by witnesses and in police alerts as a “female in a dress with brown hair,” was found dead inside the school from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While her identity has been confirmed by investigators, her name and motive remain withheld as the RCMP Major Crime Unit continues its investigation into the deadliest school shooting in Canada since 1989.
The incident has immediately reignited intense political debates over gun control and mental health support across North America. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently assumed office, suspended his planned travel to the Munich Security Conference to address the nation.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today,” Carney stated, expressing deep gratitude for the first responders who prevented further loss of life in the tight-knit community of 2,400 residents. British Columbia Premier David Eby called the event an “unimaginable tragedy” and urged Canadians to support the grieving families as the town begins a long process of healing.
Mass shootings are historically rare in Canada compared to the neighboring United States, especially those involving female perpetrators. The Tumbler Ridge attack ranks among the deadliest mass casualty events in the country’s history, alongside the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks and the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre.
In response to the tragedy, School District 59 has closed all elementary and secondary schools in Tumbler Ridge for the remainder of the week, with grief counselors deployed to support students and staff. As world leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi send their condolences, the focus remains on understanding how such violence reached this quiet, snow-covered mountain town.
