Six victims were killed at the school and two at a residence, officials said. Another person died en route to a hospital. The suspected attacker later died by suicide.
“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,” Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media.
Carney canceled a planned trip to Munich for a security conference, adding, “Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country — our empathy, our unity and our compassion for one another.”
Police received the first report around 1:20 p.m. local time Tuesday, officials said. According to British Columbia’s premier, emergency services responded within two minutes. Students said they barricaded themselves in classrooms using desks.
Tumbler Ridge, a community of about 2,500 people, lies at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northern British Columbia, more than 1,100 kilometers northeast of Vancouver.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio