Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon visit a remote mining town that was in deep shock on Thursday as it mourned eight people killed in a school mass shooting.
Such violence is rare in Canada, which has strict gun control laws unlike in the neighboring United States. Police say they do not know the motive of the 18-year-old shooter who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Carney will visit Tumbler Ridge after arrangements are made with local authorities grappling with Tuesday’s attack, the premier’s office said.
The streets of the town, population 2,400, were largely deserted Thursday, with most stores closed as residents observed a day of mourning.
Near the school, a bouquet of flowers and stuffed animals were placed at the foot of a tree. Yellow police tape surrounded the school buildings and a snow-covered volleyball court.
Known for its proximity to the Canadian Rockies, the town shunned journalists reporting on the tragedy.
The British Columbia provincial government canceled all official business and observed a minute of silence.
Police said Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender woman, killed her mother and stepbrother before shooting dead six people at the town’s high school — a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls and two boys, aged 13 and 12.
– Candlelight vigil –
Van Rootselaar, who dropped out of the school four years ago, was known to have mental health issues.
Nearly everyone in the town has a connection to one of the victims. Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night.
“I couldn’t wrap my head around it,” said Emphraim Almazan, a miner who moved to the tight-knit community three years ago. “I was like, there’s no way it happened in Tumbler Ridge.”
The tragedy ranks among Canada’s deadliest, following the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting which claimed 22 lives and led to a ban on many assault weapons.
Authorities are investigating Van Rootselaar’s previous interactions with police and health care providers.
Van Rootselaar held a firearms license which had lapsed, and weapons had previously been confiscated — but were subsequently returned.
“I have a lot of questions,” British Columbia Premier David Eby told a news conference outside town hall Wednesday evening. “I know the people of Tumbler Ridge have a lot of questions.”
Carney made an emotional address to parliament, saying “these children and their teachers bore witness to unheard of cruelty.”
He described Tumbler Ridge as a town of miners, teachers and construction workers who represent “the very best of Canada: resilient, compassionate and strong.”
