Shooting at a School claims Nine and at least 25 injured in Canada
Nine people have been killed and at least 25 injured in shootings at a school and home in British Columbia in western Canada, police say
Six victims were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, while a seventh person died on the way to the hospital
The suspect's body was also found at the school with a self‑inflicted injury, officials say
Two more people were found dead inside a residence nearby - police believe the shootings are connected but "are not in a position to provide that definitively."
Authorities say they know the attacker's identity but have not revealed their name and gender - earlier, a shelter-in-place alert described the suspect as a "female in a dress with brown hair."
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is "devastated" by the "horrific shootings", while British Columbia Premier David Eby says officers' swift response meant the "tragedy was prevented from being significantly worse."
A student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School tells CBC he and his classmates "got tables and barricaded the doors" during the shooting
Tumbler Ridge is a town of about 2,400 people located around 415 miles (670km) north of Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia
What is known about the suspected attacker
Authorities say they know the identity of the suspected attacker but are not yet releasing further details.
In an earlier news conference, RCMP North District Commander Chief Supt Ken Floyd confirmed the suspect found dead at the school is the same person police described in an alert sent to phones. The alert described a "female in a dress with brown hair".
The suspected attacker was found dead with a self-inflicted injury following the shooting, but police say they do not yet know their connection to the school.
We have not yet received confirmation of the suspect's gender or identity.
What are Canada's gun laws?
In Canada, gun ownership is largely federally regulated by the national government, and there are stricter gun laws in place than in most US states.
Under the country's Firearms Act, guns must be kept locked and unloaded. Anyone wishing to buy a firearm is also subject to extensive background checks.
A national freeze on private ownership of all short-barrelled firearms has also been in place in Canada since 2022.
That said, several people across the country own guns - particularly in rural areas.
In the past, Canada's Department of Justice has reported that British Columbia - where Tumbler Ridge Secondary School is located - has the highest ownership of handguns than elsewhere in the country.
Source: The BBC/Canada
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