Tumbler Ridge Tragedy Among the Deadliest School Shootings in Canadian History

The mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northeastern British Columbia has become one of the deadliest school-related shootings in Canadian history.

Police say 10 people died in total during Tuesday’s attack — six victims inside the school, one who later died en route to hospital, two individuals found dead in a nearby home believed to be connected to the incident, and the suspect, who was found deceased inside the school from what investigators described as a self-inflicted injury. At least 25 others were injured.

While Canada has relatively strict firearm laws compared to many other countries, the country has experienced a small but deeply impactful number of school shootings over the past several decades.

The most recent fatal school shooting prior to Tumbler Ridge occurred in 2016 at La Loche Community School in Saskatchewan, where a gunman killed four people — two relatives at a nearby home, followed by a teacher and a teacher’s aide at the school. Several others were injured in that attack.

Other deadly incidents at educational institutions in Canada include:

• 2013 – Gatineau, Que.: A shooting at a Montessori daycare left one man dead before the gunman took his own life.

• 2012 – University of Alberta: Three people were fatally shot during a robbery on campus.

• 2007 – Toronto: A 15-year-old student was killed inside C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute.

• 2006 – Dawson College, Montreal: One student was killed and 19 others injured in a shooting rampage at the CEGEP.

• 2004 – Brampton, Ont.: A teacher was shot and killed in what police described as a domestic-related incident in a school parking lot.

• 1999 – Taber, Alta.: A 17-year-old student was killed in a shooting at W.R. Myers High School.

• 1992 – Concordia University, Montreal: A professor killed four colleagues on campus.

• 1989 – École Polytechnique, Montreal: Fourteen women and one employee were killed in the deadliest school shooting in Canadian history.

• 1978 – Winnipeg: A student was killed in a shooting at Sturgeon Creek School.

• 1975 – Ottawa and Brampton: Separate school shootings in Ontario left multiple victims dead.

Though school shootings remain rare in Canada, each incident has prompted renewed national conversations about gun control, mental health supports, and public safety policies.

In the wake of the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, community members and officials have begun mourning those lost, while investigators continue working to determine the circumstances and motive behind the attack.

Support services have been mobilized for students, families, and first responders affected by the violence.