Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — Canada is grappling with grief and renewed political debate following one of the country’s deadliest school shootings in recent years, after a violent rampage left multiple victims dead, including an 11-year-old child, and dozens more injured.

Authorities say the attack unfolded on February 10 in the remote mining town of Tumbler Ridge. Investigators with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that the 18-year-old suspect fatally shot her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at home before traveling to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she opened fire on students and staff.

Inside the school, victims included several students aged 12 to 13 and a teacher, with more than two dozen others wounded — some critically. Police officers arrived within minutes, but the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before being taken into custody.

Investigators recovered multiple firearms at the scene. Officials have confirmed that at least some weapons had previously been seized during earlier police interactions but were later returned following legal review — a detail that has fueled public anger and scrutiny over enforcement procedures.

The tragedy has reignited Canada’s national debate over gun regulation, mental-health intervention, and cross-border weapons trafficking. Canada maintains far stricter firearm laws than the United States, yet law-enforcement agencies have long warned that a significant share of crime guns used domestically are smuggled from U.S. sources, complicating prevention efforts.

Prime Minister Mark Carney joined community members at a vigil, pledging federal support and national solidarity as the country mourns. Flags were lowered to half-mast, and counseling services were deployed to assist students and families affected by the attack.

Policy analysts say the incident underscores the complex intersection of gun licensing oversight, mental-health monitoring, and international trafficking routes. While mass shootings remain statistically rare in Canada, their psychological and political impact is profound.

As investigations continue into motive, firearm sourcing, and prior warning signs, the Tumbler Ridge tragedy is expected to shape Canada’s gun-policy discourse — and its cross-border security dialogue — for years to come.