February 11, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Prime Minister suspends overseas trip as community of 2,400 reels from one of the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history.
Canada is grieving after a mass shooting at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., left multiple people dead and shook the small northern community to its core.
The violence unfolded Tuesday afternoon in the district of roughly 2,400 residents, where nearly everyone knows one another. By evening, police confirmed that six people had been found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, along with the suspected shooter, who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted injury. Another victim died en route to hospital.
Two additional victims were later found dead at a separate residential location believed to be connected to the incident, though police have not released further details about that link.
The tragedy is now being described as one of the worst school shootings in Canadian history.
Chaos, lockdowns and a community in fear
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd, North District Commander, said officers received reports of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has approximately 150 students, at about 1:20 p.m.
An emergency alert was issued to mobile phones shortly after 2 p.m., instructing residents to shelter in place, lock doors and remain indoors. The suspect was described as a female wearing a dress with brown hair.
Parents were notified around 3 p.m. that schools in the area had been placed under lockdown. The Tumbler Ridge Health Centre activated a Code Orange, signalling a mass casualty event and restricting access as emergency crews responded.
Students began to be released around 5 p.m., and the public alert was lifted roughly 45 minutes later. Police continued searching homes and properties throughout the evening to determine whether anyone else had been injured or connected to the events.
On Wednesday, the provincial government dispatched trauma counsellors to support students, families and staff. Both the secondary school and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will remain closed for the rest of the week, with additional support services expected to be announced.
Political leaders respond, flags lowered
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was devastated by the shooting and extended condolences to the families and the broader community.
“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today,” he said in a statement, thanking first responders for their courage.
Carney postponed a planned defence policy announcement in Halifax and suspended an overseas trip to Munich “for the time being,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Flags on federal buildings across Canada will be flown at half-mast for seven days in honour of the victims.
In Ottawa, the House of Commons held a moment of silence at 2 p.m. ET before speeches from the Prime Minister and opposition leaders. Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon confirmed the House would rise early in recognition of the tragedy.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the shooting devastating, particularly because it took place in a school.
“As a father, I can’t even imagine the phone calls that parents might have received,” he said, urging Canadians to unite in support of the community.
World leaders condolences pour in
World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reached out to offer condolences.
King Charles also issued a statement describing the shooting as “the most dreadful attack.”
“In such a closely connected town, every child’s name will be known and every family will be a neighbour,” he wrote. “We can only begin to imagine the appalling shadow that has now descended across Tumbler Ridge.”
A rare but devastating form of violence in Canada
School shootings remain relatively rare in Canada, though past tragedies have left lasting scars.
In 2016, a 17-year-old gunman killed four people at homes and at La Loche Community School in northern Saskatchewan, injuring seven others. The deadliest school shooting in Canadian history occurred in 1989 at Montréal’s École Polytechnique, where 14 women were murdered in an attack motivated by misogyny.
As Tumbler Ridge begins the painful process of mourning and healing, investigators continue to search for answers and a country once again confronts the reality of violence in places meant to be safe.
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