Premier speaking now after mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

B.C. Premiere saint david Eby speaks after Tumbler ridgeline mass shot

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B.C. Premier David Eby and Solicitor General Nina Krieger are holding a news conference in Vancouver after the mass shooting. It just started at 9:10 p.m. MT.

Eby begins by saying tonight's news "makes you want to hug your kids a little tighter."

Prime Minister Mark Carney has now issued a statement of support for the families and officials in B.C.

"I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence," he wrote on X.

"I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens.

"Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country — our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other."

Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said the close-knit community would have to support each other after the mass shooting.

"I will know every victim. I've been here 19 years, and we're a small community," he said.

"I don't call them residents. I call them family."

The shooting at the small, rural high school today is the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history, behind the massacre that left 14 dead at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal on Dec. 6, 1989.

Five people were killed in a series of shootings in La Loche, Sask., on Jan. 22, 2016, including two at a community school. 

Experts have attributed the rarity to strict gun laws, which make it difficult to own assault-style weapons that have been used in school shootings in the U.S.

The MP for the Tumbler Ridge area also sent his condolences to the entire community.

Bob Zimmer, a former high school teacher and the MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, said he would be flying to Tumbler Ridge on Thursday.

"I'm going to be there to listen. So, no, it's something you can't really prepare for, but to sympathize and just show that you care."

Politicians from across the country have also responded to the shooting on social media this evening, from Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to Quebec Premier François Legault.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said was "devastated to hear of the many innocent people murdered and injured in a senseless act of violence."

"Our prayers are with the families, students, teachers, first responders, and the entire community grieving this profound loss," he wrote on X.

B.C. Premier David Eby has offered his condolences before he holds a news conference at 9 p.m. MT.

"Our hearts are in Tumbler Ridge tonight with the families of those who have lost loved ones," read a post from Eby, who has three children.

"Government will ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days, as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy."

The local school district says both Tumbler Ridge secondary and elementary schools will be closed for the rest of the week.

A statement said extra support will be made available.

Concluding the news conference, Floyd says local businesses are stepping up to provide more support, and he had spoken to both local and provincial officials about the shooting.

"We have multiple layers of support coming for our students, for our teachers, for our community of Tumbler Ridge," said Floyd, who lives in Prince George and spoke to the tight-knit nature of communities in the region.

He said he was committed to providing more answers in the coming days.

Floyd confirms the suspected shooter found dead at the school is the same person described in the active shooter alert sent to phones in the area earlier today.

In the alert, police described the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair.

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