On the afternoon of February 10, 2026, a gunman attacked a private residence in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and then entered Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, opening fire. Police found multiple people dead at the two scenes and treated dozens of others for injuries. Local first responders, provincial officials and national leaders described the day as a devastating blow to a remote community, and an emergency Alert Ready message told residents to shelter in place while schools nearby were locked down.
What happened: a brief timeline
- About 1:20 p.m. local time, local police received reports of gunfire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a small Grades 7 to 12 campus in a town of roughly 2,500 people.
- Officers were reported to have reached the school within minutes, and students and staff were evacuated or sheltered in place.
- Authorities later said they found victims both inside the school and at a residence believed to be connected to the shooter.
The early official tallies reported 9 people killed, including the suspected shooter, and roughly 25 to 27 people treated for injuries, with some taken by air to hospitals in larger centres. Those numbers were provided by law enforcement and repeated by major outlets while investigations and victim identifications continued.
Who were the victims, and how is the community responding?
Local officials said the dead included students and an educator, and that two people were found dead at a home believed to be linked to the attacker. Tumbler Ridge is a tight-knit northern community where many people said they knew the victims personally.
"We are a small town, and we are all connected," one local official told reporters, describing the grief that spread through families, classrooms and workplaces.
Counselling and supports were organized immediately, schools in the district were closed for the week, and neighbouring communities offered assistance. Hospitals and air ambulance services received multiple patients, and provincial authorities described the incident as a major response for a remote region.
The suspect and what investigators have said
Police identified an 18-year-old local resident as the person believed to have carried out the attacks. Authorities said the suspect died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators recovered more than one firearm at the school and described them as a long gun and a modified handgun.
Officials emphasized the investigation was ongoing, and they repeatedly warned against premature conclusions about motive. Police said they were working to determine the connections between the suspect and the victims, and they asked anyone with information to come forward.
Reported background, with caution
News organizations reported selected details drawn from public records and statements, including that police had previously attended the family home for welfare or mental-health related calls. Beyond those factual notes, authorities resisted offering speculation, and journalists noted the need to avoid assigning cause before the investigation finishes.
How officials and leaders have reacted
Provincial and federal leaders issued statements expressing sorrow and praising first responders. Local law enforcement and emergency-management officials stressed the speed of the police response and the complexity of operating in a remote, small-town environment.
- Local officials ordered school closures and set up family reunification points.
- Provincial officials dispatched additional policing and victim-support resources.
- Federal leaders and national groups offered grief counselling and helplines for those affected.
The national context: gun policy and public debate
Canada tightened and expanded gun restrictions following the 2020 Nova Scotia rampage and in later years introduced bans, buyback programs, and a national freeze on some handgun sales. After the Tumbler Ridge attack, commentators and some politicians renewed calls for further changes, while others urged attention to enforcement and mental-health supports.
Table: How the Tumbler Ridge attack compares to two other recent deadly Canadian episodes
Incident | Year | Confirmed deaths (reported at the time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
École Polytechnique, Montreal | 1989 | 14 | School-based gender-targeted massacre that prompted major policy and social responses. |
Nova Scotia rampage | 2020 | 22 | Multiple-location attack, spurred federal reforms and an assault-style weapons ban. |
Tumbler Ridge shootings | 2026 | 9 | Multiple scenes in a small community, including a residence and a school; investigation ongoing. |
Those comparisons, while stark, do not reduce the deep local impact in Tumbler Ridge. Experts say each event has its own dynamics, and policy responses have ranged from legislation to community-based prevention efforts.
Multiple viewpoints: prevention, enforcement, and mental health
- Public safety advocates called for a review of how firearms move from legal owners to others, and for stronger enforcement of storage and transfer rules.
- Civil liberties groups and some rural stakeholders warned against broad measures that could penalize law-abiding owners without improving public safety.
- Mental-health professionals emphasized early intervention, crisis response, and school-based supports, saying prevention requires both services and sensible, enforceable rules.
Each perspective rests on different assumptions about root causes, and the debate will likely intensify as investigators release more details.
Emergency communications and school safety: what worked, what is under review
Officials credited fast police arrival and the actions of staff and students who hid or barricaded rooms, and they pointed to the Alert Ready system that sent emergency messages to cellphones. At the same time, authorities said they would review timelines, communications, and protocols to see what could be improved.
Reconstructed example of the Alert Ready message residents reported receiving:
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EMERGENCY ALERT: RCMP Active shooter incident in Tumbler Ridge area. Shelter in place, lock doors, and avoid the area. Follow directions from police and emergency services. Do not travel to the scene.
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That message, and the timing of follow-up updates, will be part of after-action reviews.
What comes next: investigation and supports
Investigators from the RCMP Major Crime Section and provincial partners took charge of the criminal inquiry. Forensic work, witness interviews and searches of the residence and school were reported to be ongoing. Victim identification and family notifications continued in the days after the attacks, and authorities urged patience out of respect for grieving families.
Meanwhile local and provincial agencies mobilized trauma counselling, and national organizations offered resources for students, families and first responders.
Conclusion
Tumbler Ridge’s shock rippled beyond its forests and snowfields because the attack struck a place many Canadians recognize as close-knit and remote. The immediate facts are now on record: a youth carried out deadly attacks at a home and at a school, multiple people died and dozens were hurt. What remains unsettled are the questions that follow every such tragedy: why it happened, whether warning signs were missed, and what measures will reduce the chance of repeats.
Answering those questions will take time, and it will require careful, evidence-based inquiry that balances community healing, accountability, and sensible policy changes. For the families and friends of the victims, the weeks and months ahead will be about recovery and remembrance, and for the rest of the country, about learning what can be done to prevent another day like February 10, 2026.