I can't think of a way to say this that doesn't come across as flippant, but I thought this kind of thing only happened here in the States. It seems that this event has shocked the nation a lot...
I can't think of a way to say this that doesn't come across as flippant, but I thought this kind of thing only happened here in the States. It seems that this event has shocked the nation a lot more than it shocks us when it happens, so it's definitely not common.
I admit that I was initially frustrated that there wasn't much info on the shooter. It took a second for me to realize that this is exactly what I've been asking for - don't publicize them. Honestly no names should be shared at all out of respect for the families of the victims as well, which is what was done here. I would still like to know more about the event itself and the leadup to it - was this school specifically targeted, why was it done, did the shooter use a banned firearm, etc, but it's too early to ask for that info and this article did all the rest right.
You are right that the nation is in shock right now, it's very uncommon for something like this to happen here. If I am not mistaken, this is the deadliest school shooting perpetrated in Canada...
You are right that the nation is in shock right now, it's very uncommon for something like this to happen here. If I am not mistaken, this is the deadliest school shooting perpetrated in Canada since the Montreal massacre in 1989.
Thanks for the additional context for comparison. I don't know the stats on mass shootings (Canada or the US), so it makes this even more heartbreaking with more facts.
Thanks for the additional context for comparison. I don't know the stats on mass shootings (Canada or the US), so it makes this even more heartbreaking with more facts.
@unkz links some relevant news clips below but beyond that I can only give you rumor, mainly from Facebook (barf). The shooter was 17 or 18 year old (??) trans woman. I don't know tumbler ridge...
I would still like to know more about the event itself and the leadup to it - was this school specifically targeted, why was it done, did the shooter use a banned firearm, etc, but it's too early to ask for that info and this article did all the rest right.
@unkz links some relevant news clips below but beyond that I can only give you rumor, mainly from Facebook (barf).
The shooter was 17 or 18 year old (??) trans woman. I don't know tumbler ridge but I'm fairly certain theres only one high school so the shooter was either a current student or recent graduate of that school.
Two family members were found dead in the alleged shooter's house.
The weapon was supposedly a shotgun (nothing more specific) so very unlikely to be banned or restricted. The use of a shotgun would kind of explain some of the reports of people being injured by "shrapnels" on the news so I think this is likely.
Theres no word on motivation but there is going to be some wild culture war shit happening because the alleged shooter was trans (especially male to female because the culture war is only worried about male to female) and RUMORED to be on a heavy dose of anti-depressants. Also their YouTube and reddit accounts were already both found, shared, and now scrubbed.
Also speaking to culture war and political reprecussiom... after the last mass shooting in Nova Scotia (2020) then PM Trudeau banned a bunch of military style rifles and other semi automatic rifles and was SUPPOSED to implement a gun buy back that is only just sort of starting to happen right now. There is a whole other discussion to be had about this but I'll keep it short and say gun owners aren't happy and they aren't exactly lining up to hand in their now prohibited guns.
That is correct, only one small highschool. Having attended highschool not far from Tumbler, I expected it was going to be a hunting rifle. It is a very hick culture up there, so lots of people...
don't know tumbler ridge but I'm fairly certain theres only one high school so the shooter was either a current student or recent graduate of that school.
That is correct, only one small highschool.
The weapon was supposedly a shotgun (nothing more specific) so very unlikely to be banned or restricted. The use of a shotgun would kind of explain some of the reports of people being injured by "shrapnels" on the news so I think this is likely.
Having attended highschool not far from Tumbler, I expected it was going to be a hunting rifle. It is a very hick culture up there, so lots of people have guns. When I graduated in the 2010s, even being in a bigger city, it would not have surprised me if some students had their hunting rifles in their trucks in the school parking lot because they are going hunting after school. That is just the type of culture in the Peace Region. While there are a decent amount of guns, gun ownership is relatively responsible. Those who live out of town on farms may not properly secure their guns, but they are viewed responsibly as tools by the majority of people. Knives were extremely common in my highschool, since so many people would be working on the farm and forget to empty their pockets. I was never concerned by these people carrying knives (even when my school tried to restrict students carrying knives).
I've mentioned this many times in the past, but one of the most disturbing things about being an American is how desensitized we are to mass shootings. Especially because I can distantly remember...
I've mentioned this many times in the past, but one of the most disturbing things about being an American is how desensitized we are to mass shootings. Especially because I can distantly remember a time when we weren't this desensitized. My mom talked about going on vacation shortly after Columbine and learning their waitress was from there, and the waitress commented, "Yeah, people didn't used to know it but now everyone does." There was a genuine shock that permeated everyone. To this day, Columbine holds an almost mythical status among mass shootings.
And yet even then, I forgot about it within less than two months. It quickly became just another of the countless mass shootings that plague this country.
In retrospect, I think this desensitization was already in place by the time the Sandy Hook shooting happened. I was most likely the first person in my school aware of it because I saw a headline on my laptop about a shooting at the end of lunch. I didn't bother clicking it and reading about it though, and didn't see an urgent need to mention it to people. Even back then, I think I was already kind of "used" to it and didn't see it as something horrifying enough to derail the day.
I've long thought that Sandy Hook was our last real chance to get gun violence under control, but now I think we may have already been too far gone. We definitely are now.
In comparison, I'm glad to see other countries are still able to be shocked and horrified by shootings. I sincerely hope they never lose that sense of horror, because this is something no one should become numb to. It's too late for the United States, but if we can serve as an example of how bad it can get and give other countries incentive to never reach this point, then at least I can take comfort in that.
I sincerely hope that the general horror and grief felt by all of Canada means they won't hyper-focus on politicizing the shooter's gender identity over the rest of the tragedy.
I thought I'd add a new comment with new details. Official report from the RCMP was that two guns were involved; a long gun (so maybe still a shotgun?) and a "modified" handgun. Handguns are...
I thought I'd add a new comment with new details. Official report from the RCMP was that two guns were involved; a long gun (so maybe still a shotgun?) and a "modified" handgun.
Handguns are restricted in Canada so you need to jump through more hoops to buy one AND theres some sort of ban on the purchase of handguns as of a year or two ago. This ban basically means you can own one and take it to the range (like before) but you can't buy one or transfer ownership of one.
To all the Canadians here: I’m so sorry. (from an American neighbor who’s also hurting)
Ten people including the shooter are dead after an assailant opened fire at a high school in western Canada on Tuesday in one of the country's deadliest mass casualty events in recent history.
The attack brought to Canada the type of mass shooting more common in the neighboring United States, and was carried out by a shooter described as female, police said.
Six people were found dead inside a high school in the town of Tumbler Ridge, in British Columbia, two more people were found dead at a residence believed to be connected to the incident, and another person died on the way to hospital, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
At least two other people were hospitalized with serious or life-threatening wounds, and as many as 25 people were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
It sounds like this is going to be a political firestorm. More credible source, https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/breaking-rcmp-identify-tumbler-ridge-shooter-11868070...
It sounds like this is going to be a political firestorm.
Police had originally reported 10 deaths, but corrected that to nine on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
After a question about Van Rootselaar's gender, McDonald confirmed that Van Rootselaar would be referred to as female by investigators.
“We’re not hiding it,” said McDonald. “I will say this — we identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and on social media. I can say that Jesse was born a biological male who, approximately six years ago, began to transition to female and identified as female, both socially and publicly.”
The individual alleged to be the shooter in the deadly attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia has been identified by a close family member as Jesse Strang, according to information obtained by Juno News.
Juno News spoke directly with Russell G. Strang, Jesse Strang’s uncle, who confirmed Jesse was transgender and responsible for the shooting that left 10 people dead, including the suspect. A public YouTube account believed to be owned by Jesse features the transgender flag and uses “she/her” pronouns.
At least ten people are dead and upwards of 25 injured following a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, a small community located 300 km northeast of Prince George.
The suspect, who was also found dead with what appeared to be "self-inflicted" wounds, has been identified by residents as 18-year-old Jesse Strang.
Among those who confirmed to the Western Standard that Strang was the shooter were Liam Irving and Juan van Heerden, both of whom grew up seeing him at school. They'd spoken with eight different people who were at Tumbler Ridge Secondary when the massacre took place.
"He was a couple of years younger than us grades wise," Irving explained. "He was a chill kid, he was alright, but he definitely gave off that, you know, quiet one out kind of kid ... Like, he wasn't, you know, destructive or obnoxious."
Van Heerden echoed his sentiments, labelling Strang "a quiet kid."
"We always seen him by himself," he said, "sitting by himself in the corner, always quiet."
The pair confirmed that Strang identified as transgender.
Before heading to the school, Strang allegedly murdered his mother and younger brother, both of whom were well known in the community.
"My mom was pretty good friends with the mother, Jennifer, and my little brother, who's also on the spectrum, was pretty close to Emmett, the younger boy," Irving said. "There's not one person in this town right now that's not affected by this."
Despite this being a rare anomaly:
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there were 5,748 mass shootings between Jan 1, 2013 and September 15, 2025 in the U.S. Of that number, there have been five confirmed transgender shooters, GVA told FactCheck.org. That means that transgender individuals were responsible for less than 0.1% of incidents over that time period.
Fucking exhausted of watching the casual misgendering and invalidating of trans identities by the news right before this gets turned as a weapon against trans people.
Fucking exhausted of watching the casual misgendering and invalidating of trans identities by the news right before this gets turned as a weapon against trans people.
I'm terrified for trans individuals in Canada in the fallout of this news. From what their town pastor said about remembering to lend support to the shooter's surviving family, we'll likely hear...
I'm terrified for trans individuals in Canada in the fallout of this news.
From what their town pastor said about remembering to lend support to the shooter's surviving family, we'll likely hear their one sided account of what they must have been like and their motivations. I am holding onto hope that they are half decent people even in their pain
While disgusting, the news "sources" linked above are the typical right wing garbage that have a vest interest in misgendering trans people and calling them terrorists. I expect our real sources...
While disgusting, the news "sources" linked above are the typical right wing garbage that have a vest interest in misgendering trans people and calling them terrorists. I expect our real sources of news in Canada will do a better job, but I suppose even that is questionable these days.
The CBC did at least not do the shitty misgendering. I feel like there's nothing I can say that can address the magnitude of the grief and loss for so many or the pain that led to this. And so all...
The CBC did at least not do the shitty misgendering.
I feel like there's nothing I can say that can address the magnitude of the grief and loss for so many or the pain that led to this. And so all I can do is advocate for more innocents not being hurt.
Before we go too far down the rabbit hole, I would like to point out the questionable news sources linked here. Juno News is an outlet owned by True North and "created as an alternative to "legacy...
Before we go too far down the rabbit hole, I would like to point out the questionable news sources linked here.
Juno News is an outlet owned by True North and "created as an alternative to "legacy media," focusing on right-leaning, independent, and investigative journalism." You can learn more about Truth North here. They are right wing "news" that absolutely have a vested interest in fitting stuff into their narrative including that trans people are terrorists.
Similarly, Western Standard is majority owned by Derek Fildebrandt who relaunched it as a conservative, right wing rag. I invite anyone to look at his wikipedia page and I think you will agree that he aligns with people who want to blame trans people.
This is a horrible tragedy for everyone involved and Canada in general, but until an unbiased source, such as the CBC or even the RCMP, releases the shooters name and details I would strongly doubt any links made to trans people.
It's fair to be skeptical, but I posted it because while they are biased they cited three human sources, one of whom was a family member. It's now official though:...
It's fair to be skeptical, but I posted it because while they are biased they cited three human sources, one of whom was a family member. It's now official though:
Police had originally reported 10 deaths, but corrected that to nine on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
After a question about Van Rootselaar's gender, [RCMP Deputy Commissioner] McDonald confirmed that Van Rootselaar would be referred to as female by investigators.
“We’re not hiding it,” said McDonald. “I will say this — we identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and on social media. I can say that Jesse was born a biological male who, approximately six years ago, began to transition to female and identified as female, both socially and publicly.”
Pretty sure more than 0.1% of people are transgender. Sounds like they are way less likely to be a mass shooter? I hope trans people are given the reputation they've earned for being statistically...
That means that transgender individuals were responsible for less than 0.1% of incidents over that time period.
Pretty sure more than 0.1% of people are transgender. Sounds like they are way less likely to be a mass shooter? I hope trans people are given the reputation they've earned for being statistically less violent.
Anecdotally, 100% of the trans people I know or have met are pretty chill.
The National Post was pretty clear about getting the facts correct. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-tumbler-ridge-shooter-was-a-trans-female-how-rare-is-that
The National Post was pretty clear about getting the facts correct.
The Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University in Minnesota, using a slightly different definition of mass shootings, similarly found 0.1 per cent were committed by transgender people, compared to 2 per cent by cisgender women and more than 97 per cent by cisgender men.
“The overwhelming pattern is clear and consistent: mass shootings are committed almost entirely by men,” wrote James Densley, the project’s co-founder and deputy director.
By cis men. Worth noting because they did the subtle invalidation thing there Probably well intentioned, but the people who deny trans women their identities would say "yes, men" and mean...
By cis men.
Worth noting because they did the subtle invalidation thing there Probably well intentioned, but the people who deny trans women their identities would say "yes, men" and mean something else.
This is horrific. With the shooter self inflicting their death we will have so few answers. This is going to be so devastating for the tiny community. They're really super far from Vancouver BC,...
This is horrific. With the shooter self inflicting their death we will have so few answers.
Tumbler Ridge, the scene of the shooting, is a remote municipality with a population of around 2,400 people
This is going to be so devastating for the tiny community. They're really super far from Vancouver BC, being on the other side of the Rockies, actually much closer to Edmonton. I hope the community will be supported well by both provinces.
The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students in Grades 7 to 12.
My heart breaks for these students. Everyone would have definitely not only known the victims, but likely have known them their entire lives since Family Place / preschool / Kindergarten.
Seven days of flags at half mast across the country. Premieres of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ontario... everywhere else send condolences. In grief, we are all united as one country. King Charles also reached out. Commonwealth.
Quebec Liberal MP Nathalie Provost, who survived being shot during the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, reacted to the shooting in a social media post saying the shooting shattered the sense of safety in a place that should be about growth and innocence.
"I reflect with profound gravity on the suffering, sorrow, and trauma that such events leave behind — for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community," Provost said on her Facebook page.
We're fortunate that this type of thing is so rare we have very few survivors. But it also means I don't know how to react at all. I'm kind of a wreck this morning
Damn, this hits. My dad worked at the mine in Tumbler when it opened and I spent a handful of my formative years up there. For context, it's the kind of town where mine workers were told to go...
Damn, this hits. My dad worked at the mine in Tumbler when it opened and I spent a handful of my formative years up there.
For context, it's the kind of town where mine workers were told to go check out which new house they wanted and were given their keys to ownership the same day.
My old man was a volunteer RCMP member when we were there, and by mom's account, the town and surrounding area didn't move far beyond the 5 FT cops (this could include leadership, staff and constables - I don't know).
It was a quiet place with its share of mountain bikers, meth, young dudes trying to make a go of a mining career and families who had been there a good while.
Absolutely heartbreaking and the sort of story that anybody from a small town (or has spent time in one) can empathize with.
I also grew up in the area, doing highschool just a bit over an hour north of there. When I saw the headline of school shooting in BC, I was expecting lower mainland, not the Peace Region. I had...
I also grew up in the area, doing highschool just a bit over an hour north of there. When I saw the headline of school shooting in BC, I was expecting lower mainland, not the Peace Region. I had track and field practices a few times in that field beside the school, and my school's track team tended to travel with Tumbler's team. I don't know anyone in that school anymore, but it is weird hearing about a shooting that happened in a building that I have been in (albeit it briefly). I texted my friend who still lives in the city nearby that I grew up in, and he sent me a screenshot of the emergency alert his phone got.
I'm trying to be careful and respectful here. Comment is my own and unrelated to Tumbler Ridge. But as a fellow Canadian living in a rural area, access to quality mental health, and having support...
I'm trying to be careful and respectful here. Comment is my own and unrelated to Tumbler Ridge. But as a fellow Canadian living in a rural area, access to quality mental health, and having support for anything like being neurodivergent or being different is brutal. Everyone is all up in everyone else's business, which is excellent if you fit the mold and play along. But if someone kept to themselves or is different or whatever, it can be very isolating to have everyone know about you but not actually know you.
Having lived in extremely rural BC for almost half my life, let me assure you there's a ton of weird violence out there. A lot of people are living in those places specifically because they don't...
Having lived in extremely rural BC for almost half my life, let me assure you there's a ton of weird violence out there. A lot of people are living in those places specifically because they don't get along with people and do not fit in cities. My parents were there for exactly that reason, for instance.
Having lived in the Peace Region, it is kind of a different vibe. Very boom or bust economically, as most towns are tied to one specific industry. Tumbler is a mining community, but the mine has...
Having lived in the Peace Region, it is kind of a different vibe. Very boom or bust economically, as most towns are tied to one specific industry. Tumbler is a mining community, but the mine has either closed down or scaled back significantly. The city I lived in in the Peace Region there were very limited cases of violence. I remember the two biggest incidents, which was one murder and then also there was a hunting accident (a teenage boy accidentally shot his brother while hunting). However, it does seem like in the past 5-10yrs that has been changing, with a higher prevalence of hard drugs.
It's not there any more, but last night when I looked up Tumbler Ridge on Google Maps to remind myself where it is, there was a pin that read "Tumbler Ridge Active School Shooting". I was already...
It's not there any more, but last night when I looked up Tumbler Ridge on Google Maps to remind myself where it is, there was a pin that read "Tumbler Ridge Active School Shooting". I was already kind of shocked given that this happened relatively close to where I live (a 7-hour drive, but that's not all that much) but that pin really surprised me. I wonder if it's some sort of safety feature or something user-submitted that got removed later.
I know Facebook used to (might still; I don't use mine anymore) have a "check-in" feature for when someone is in a well-known dangerous event like a shooting, where you can indicate to your family...
I know Facebook used to (might still; I don't use mine anymore) have a "check-in" feature for when someone is in a well-known dangerous event like a shooting, where you can indicate to your family and friends that you're okay. I wonder if this is part of something similar.
I've seen this pin feature for earthquake or weather related things before, where a lot of folks are suddenly using Google maps to located something they saw on the news. Feels kind of bad to have...
I've seen this pin feature for earthquake or weather related things before, where a lot of folks are suddenly using Google maps to located something they saw on the news. Feels kind of bad to have this be a thing when it's a tragic violent crime though.
In what sense? I feel like the same logic of “a notice to not go near thing that may kill you” applies whether it’s a wildfire or a human that is posing a danger. It’s first and foremost a safety...
Feels kind of bad to have this be a thing when it's a tragic violent crime though.
In what sense? I feel like the same logic of “a notice to not go near thing that may kill you” applies whether it’s a wildfire or a human that is posing a danger. It’s first and foremost a safety feature. Also keeping people out of the area helps first responders, in both natural and human-caused harm.
Sorry, I see what you mean and the value we can get from it, but I meant it feels bad in the sense that I wish we only had to deal with natural disasters, not man made ones.
Sorry, I see what you mean and the value we can get from it, but I meant it feels bad in the sense that I wish we only had to deal with natural disasters, not man made ones.
It sucks, but I think it's mainly there for safety and because they collect it anyway. They likely keep on top of that information so they can avoid routing people through dangerous places, so...
It sucks, but I think it's mainly there for safety and because they collect it anyway. They likely keep on top of that information so they can avoid routing people through dangerous places, so makes sense to just make it a public pin rather than only internally flag it. Looking it up, I found this Reddit post with a screenshot of an alert for "London Bridge violence" back when that stabbing incident happened, and mentions of alerts for terrorist attacks like the Barcelona van attack.
EDIT : the local credit union is taking direct e-transfers so they can skip the GoFundMe middleman https://www.lakeviewcreditunion.com/ Earlier: The community has set up a goFundMe for funeral...
All of us at Lake View Credit Union are grieving with our community in the wake of the unimaginable tragedy that occurred February 10th, 2026, in Tumbler Ridge. Words can’t fully capture the feelings of loss and sadness we’re all grappling with. For the moment, we want to let the community know that our Tumbler Ridge branch will be open today for business and our staff are prepared to help those in need, be it for normal banking, or for any special or unique circumstances or financial hardship related to yesterday’s events. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, and thank you to those who’ve already reached out with us in mind to ask after the welfare of our staff. In coordination with the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council (TR PAC), Lake View Credit Union is setting up a donation account to help coordinate aid for those most impacted by the recent tragedy in our community. We will provide more details as they become available, but for now, we want to assure the public that all funds collected will be administered in coordination with the TR PAC. For those looking to make a financial contribution, donations can be made in person at any of our branches, or by E-Transfer to: TRStrong@lvcu.ca
Earlier: The community has set up a goFundMe for funeral costs as well as counseling
@mycketforvirrad -- Good news, the total death toll is update to NINE: can you help update title please? February 11, 2026 ~ 1pm local time update (about 45 min ago)...
@mycketforvirrad -- Good news, the total death toll is update to NINE: can you help update title please?
Police would like to correct information shared yesterday and clarify that nine people, including the shooter are deceased as a result of this incident. Initially, it was believed that a female victim with significant injuries, who was transported from the scene by police and transitioned to paramedics, had succumbed to her injuries. Police have since confirmed she is one of the two female victims airlifted to hospital. Both victims, a 12-year-old and 19-year-old female, remain in serious condition.
The deceased victims from the school include a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, and two male students, ages 12 and 13. Two additional victims, a 39-year-old female and 11-year-old male, were located deceased in a local residence.
The suspect has been identified as 18 year old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who is a resident of Tumbler Ridge. Two firearms, a long gun and a modified hand gun were recovered by responding officers.
CTV News initially reported that the shooter was identified as Jesse Strang. The RCMP later confirmed that the 18-year-old woman goes by the name Jesse Van Rootselaar.
In a media availability on Wednesday, RCMP said they “identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media,” explaining that “Jesse was born as a biological male.” [...]
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says police had visited the shooter’s residence at various points over recent years. Officers had responded to mental-health related calls, and firearms had been seized.
“At a later point in time, the lawful owner of those firearms petitioned for those firearms to be returned, and they were.”
[...]
“We were called because a neighbour – there was a young female at that home that went to the neighbour’s – and that’s how we learned there were two deceased at that residence,” RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said.
“The incident at the home occurred first, and from there our suspect attended the school and commenced their criminal activity there, and that’s how we learned there were two deceased at that residence,” McDonald added.
[...]
t’s too early to speculate on Van Rootselaar’s motive, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says. The shooter had dropped out of school.
Jennifer Strang, the shooter’s mother, and sibling, Emmett, are among the victims, CTV News has confirmed.
I don't think it would be possible in this case, the shooter has died of self inflicted injuries. But we can still take good care of the victims, and try to find ways to improve society so this...
I don't think it would be possible in this case, the shooter has died of self inflicted injuries.
But we can still take good care of the victims, and try to find ways to improve society so this doesn't happen again
I can't think of a way to say this that doesn't come across as flippant, but I thought this kind of thing only happened here in the States. It seems that this event has shocked the nation a lot more than it shocks us when it happens, so it's definitely not common.
I admit that I was initially frustrated that there wasn't much info on the shooter. It took a second for me to realize that this is exactly what I've been asking for - don't publicize them. Honestly no names should be shared at all out of respect for the families of the victims as well, which is what was done here. I would still like to know more about the event itself and the leadup to it - was this school specifically targeted, why was it done, did the shooter use a banned firearm, etc, but it's too early to ask for that info and this article did all the rest right.
You are right that the nation is in shock right now, it's very uncommon for something like this to happen here. If I am not mistaken, this is the deadliest school shooting perpetrated in Canada since the Montreal massacre in 1989.
Thanks for the additional context for comparison. I don't know the stats on mass shootings (Canada or the US), so it makes this even more heartbreaking with more facts.
@unkz links some relevant news clips below but beyond that I can only give you rumor, mainly from Facebook (barf).
The shooter was 17 or 18 year old (??) trans woman. I don't know tumbler ridge but I'm fairly certain theres only one high school so the shooter was either a current student or recent graduate of that school.
Two family members were found dead in the alleged shooter's house.
The weapon was supposedly a shotgun (nothing more specific) so very unlikely to be banned or restricted. The use of a shotgun would kind of explain some of the reports of people being injured by "shrapnels" on the news so I think this is likely.
Theres no word on motivation but there is going to be some wild culture war shit happening because the alleged shooter was trans (especially male to female because the culture war is only worried about male to female) and RUMORED to be on a heavy dose of anti-depressants. Also their YouTube and reddit accounts were already both found, shared, and now scrubbed.
Also speaking to culture war and political reprecussiom... after the last mass shooting in Nova Scotia (2020) then PM Trudeau banned a bunch of military style rifles and other semi automatic rifles and was SUPPOSED to implement a gun buy back that is only just sort of starting to happen right now. There is a whole other discussion to be had about this but I'll keep it short and say gun owners aren't happy and they aren't exactly lining up to hand in their now prohibited guns.
That is correct, only one small highschool.
Having attended highschool not far from Tumbler, I expected it was going to be a hunting rifle. It is a very hick culture up there, so lots of people have guns. When I graduated in the 2010s, even being in a bigger city, it would not have surprised me if some students had their hunting rifles in their trucks in the school parking lot because they are going hunting after school. That is just the type of culture in the Peace Region. While there are a decent amount of guns, gun ownership is relatively responsible. Those who live out of town on farms may not properly secure their guns, but they are viewed responsibly as tools by the majority of people. Knives were extremely common in my highschool, since so many people would be working on the farm and forget to empty their pockets. I was never concerned by these people carrying knives (even when my school tried to restrict students carrying knives).
You can acquire firearms legally in a few nations, Canada included. The US just makes it easy.
I've mentioned this many times in the past, but one of the most disturbing things about being an American is how desensitized we are to mass shootings. Especially because I can distantly remember a time when we weren't this desensitized. My mom talked about going on vacation shortly after Columbine and learning their waitress was from there, and the waitress commented, "Yeah, people didn't used to know it but now everyone does." There was a genuine shock that permeated everyone. To this day, Columbine holds an almost mythical status among mass shootings.
Now though, shootings are common enough that when I saw a video about how the Brown University shooter was identified, it took me a minute to place it. At the time it was notable because he didn't die or get apprehended like most mass shooters, and then he did go on to shoot someone. I was even fairly active on the thread about it, and had a whole tangent about how this was common enough to notice a pattern and have general expectations of mass shooters, which this shooter broke.
And yet even then, I forgot about it within less than two months. It quickly became just another of the countless mass shootings that plague this country.
In retrospect, I think this desensitization was already in place by the time the Sandy Hook shooting happened. I was most likely the first person in my school aware of it because I saw a headline on my laptop about a shooting at the end of lunch. I didn't bother clicking it and reading about it though, and didn't see an urgent need to mention it to people. Even back then, I think I was already kind of "used" to it and didn't see it as something horrifying enough to derail the day.
I've long thought that Sandy Hook was our last real chance to get gun violence under control, but now I think we may have already been too far gone. We definitely are now.
In comparison, I'm glad to see other countries are still able to be shocked and horrified by shootings. I sincerely hope they never lose that sense of horror, because this is something no one should become numb to. It's too late for the United States, but if we can serve as an example of how bad it can get and give other countries incentive to never reach this point, then at least I can take comfort in that.
I sincerely hope that the general horror and grief felt by all of Canada means they won't hyper-focus on politicizing the shooter's gender identity over the rest of the tragedy.
I thought I'd add a new comment with new details. Official report from the RCMP was that two guns were involved; a long gun (so maybe still a shotgun?) and a "modified" handgun.
Handguns are restricted in Canada so you need to jump through more hoops to buy one AND theres some sort of ban on the purchase of handguns as of a year or two ago. This ban basically means you can own one and take it to the range (like before) but you can't buy one or transfer ownership of one.
To all the Canadians here: I’m so sorry.
(from an American neighbor who’s also hurting)
It sounds like this is going to be a political firestorm.
More credible source,
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/breaking-rcmp-identify-tumbler-ridge-shooter-11868070
https://www.junonews.com/p/exclusive-family-confirms-identity
https://www.westernstandard.news/news/breaking-at-least-7-dead-25-injured-after-female-shooter-opens-fire-in-tumbler-ridge/71081
Despite this being a rare anomaly:
https://glaad.org/debunking-trans-terrorism/
Fucking exhausted of watching the casual misgendering and invalidating of trans identities by the news right before this gets turned as a weapon against trans people.
I'm terrified for trans individuals in Canada in the fallout of this news.
From what their town pastor said about remembering to lend support to the shooter's surviving family, we'll likely hear their one sided account of what they must have been like and their motivations. I am holding onto hope that they are half decent people even in their pain
While disgusting, the news "sources" linked above are the typical right wing garbage that have a vest interest in misgendering trans people and calling them terrorists. I expect our real sources of news in Canada will do a better job, but I suppose even that is questionable these days.
The CBC did at least not do the shitty misgendering.
I feel like there's nothing I can say that can address the magnitude of the grief and loss for so many or the pain that led to this. And so all I can do is advocate for more innocents not being hurt.
Before we go too far down the rabbit hole, I would like to point out the questionable news sources linked here.
Juno News is an outlet owned by True North and "created as an alternative to "legacy media," focusing on right-leaning, independent, and investigative journalism." You can learn more about Truth North here. They are right wing "news" that absolutely have a vested interest in fitting stuff into their narrative including that trans people are terrorists.
Similarly, Western Standard is majority owned by Derek Fildebrandt who relaunched it as a conservative, right wing rag. I invite anyone to look at his wikipedia page and I think you will agree that he aligns with people who want to blame trans people.
This is a horrible tragedy for everyone involved and Canada in general, but until an unbiased source, such as the CBC or even the RCMP, releases the shooters name and details I would strongly doubt any links made to trans people.
It's fair to be skeptical, but I posted it because while they are biased they cited three human sources, one of whom was a family member. It's now official though:
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/breaking-rcmp-identify-tumbler-ridge-shooter-11868070
Pretty sure more than 0.1% of people are transgender. Sounds like they are way less likely to be a mass shooter? I hope trans people are given the reputation they've earned for being statistically less violent.
Anecdotally, 100% of the trans people I know or have met are pretty chill.
The National Post was pretty clear about getting the facts correct.
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-tumbler-ridge-shooter-was-a-trans-female-how-rare-is-that
By cis men.
Worth noting because they did the subtle invalidation thing there Probably well intentioned, but the people who deny trans women their identities would say "yes, men" and mean something else.
This is horrific. With the shooter self inflicting their death we will have so few answers.
This is going to be so devastating for the tiny community. They're really super far from Vancouver BC, being on the other side of the Rockies, actually much closer to Edmonton. I hope the community will be supported well by both provinces.
CBC article
My heart breaks for these students. Everyone would have definitely not only known the victims, but likely have known them their entire lives since Family Place / preschool / Kindergarten.
CBC live updates thread
Seven days of flags at half mast across the country. Premieres of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ontario... everywhere else send condolences. In grief, we are all united as one country. King Charles also reached out. Commonwealth.
We're fortunate that this type of thing is so rare we have very few survivors. But it also means I don't know how to react at all. I'm kind of a wreck this morning
Damn, this hits. My dad worked at the mine in Tumbler when it opened and I spent a handful of my formative years up there.
For context, it's the kind of town where mine workers were told to go check out which new house they wanted and were given their keys to ownership the same day.
My old man was a volunteer RCMP member when we were there, and by mom's account, the town and surrounding area didn't move far beyond the 5 FT cops (this could include leadership, staff and constables - I don't know).
It was a quiet place with its share of mountain bikers, meth, young dudes trying to make a go of a mining career and families who had been there a good while.
Absolutely heartbreaking and the sort of story that anybody from a small town (or has spent time in one) can empathize with.
I also grew up in the area, doing highschool just a bit over an hour north of there. When I saw the headline of school shooting in BC, I was expecting lower mainland, not the Peace Region. I had track and field practices a few times in that field beside the school, and my school's track team tended to travel with Tumbler's team. I don't know anyone in that school anymore, but it is weird hearing about a shooting that happened in a building that I have been in (albeit it briefly). I texted my friend who still lives in the city nearby that I grew up in, and he sent me a screenshot of the emergency alert his phone got.
Man, it's so surreal. The Peace, Caribou and everywhere else up there is supposed to be somewhere where this stuff doesn't happen. I'm still shocked.
I'm trying to be careful and respectful here. Comment is my own and unrelated to Tumbler Ridge. But as a fellow Canadian living in a rural area, access to quality mental health, and having support for anything like being neurodivergent or being different is brutal. Everyone is all up in everyone else's business, which is excellent if you fit the mold and play along. But if someone kept to themselves or is different or whatever, it can be very isolating to have everyone know about you but not actually know you.
Having lived in extremely rural BC for almost half my life, let me assure you there's a ton of weird violence out there. A lot of people are living in those places specifically because they don't get along with people and do not fit in cities. My parents were there for exactly that reason, for instance.
Having lived in the Peace Region, it is kind of a different vibe. Very boom or bust economically, as most towns are tied to one specific industry. Tumbler is a mining community, but the mine has either closed down or scaled back significantly. The city I lived in in the Peace Region there were very limited cases of violence. I remember the two biggest incidents, which was one murder and then also there was a hunting accident (a teenage boy accidentally shot his brother while hunting). However, it does seem like in the past 5-10yrs that has been changing, with a higher prevalence of hard drugs.
It's not there any more, but last night when I looked up Tumbler Ridge on Google Maps to remind myself where it is, there was a pin that read "Tumbler Ridge Active School Shooting". I was already kind of shocked given that this happened relatively close to where I live (a 7-hour drive, but that's not all that much) but that pin really surprised me. I wonder if it's some sort of safety feature or something user-submitted that got removed later.
I know Facebook used to (might still; I don't use mine anymore) have a "check-in" feature for when someone is in a well-known dangerous event like a shooting, where you can indicate to your family and friends that you're okay. I wonder if this is part of something similar.
I've seen this pin feature for earthquake or weather related things before, where a lot of folks are suddenly using Google maps to located something they saw on the news. Feels kind of bad to have this be a thing when it's a tragic violent crime though.
In what sense? I feel like the same logic of “a notice to not go near thing that may kill you” applies whether it’s a wildfire or a human that is posing a danger. It’s first and foremost a safety feature. Also keeping people out of the area helps first responders, in both natural and human-caused harm.
Sorry, I see what you mean and the value we can get from it, but I meant it feels bad in the sense that I wish we only had to deal with natural disasters, not man made ones.
It sucks, but I think it's mainly there for safety and because they collect it anyway. They likely keep on top of that information so they can avoid routing people through dangerous places, so makes sense to just make it a public pin rather than only internally flag it. Looking it up, I found this Reddit post with a screenshot of an alert for "London Bridge violence" back when that stabbing incident happened, and mentions of alerts for terrorist attacks like the Barcelona van attack.
It's definitely been used for mass casualty shootings in the US
It does absolutely suck
They used the emergency alert system thing for phones. I guess that's poasibly tied to Google maps somehow as well.
EDIT : the local credit union is taking direct e-transfers so they can skip the GoFundMe middleman
https://www.lakeviewcreditunion.com/
Earlier: The community has set up a goFundMe for funeral costs as well as counseling
Announced on the parent advisory council
https://www.facebook.com/share/17AyNwjH4D/
And the direct link so no one else has to click Facebook
https://www.gofundme.com/f/tumbler-ridge-strong
@mycketforvirrad -- Good news, the total death toll is update to NINE: can you help update title please?
February 11, 2026 ~ 1pm local time update (about 45 min ago)
https://rcmp.ca/en/bc/tumbler-ridge/news/2026/02/4350208
more RCMP (youtube)
CTV live thread:
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I don't think it would be possible in this case, the shooter has died of self inflicted injuries.
But we can still take good care of the victims, and try to find ways to improve society so this doesn't happen again