'Everyone knows somebody affected' - small Canadian town united in grief after mass shooting

In the small town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, residents are reeling after a mass shooting left nine people dead, including six children.

"We've been insulated," Tracy Krauss, a local pastor, told the BBC. "A newcomer comes to town and they're locking up, and everyone laughs, because why are you doing that? Nothing happens here."

Krauss said that sense of security now feels painfully naïve.

On Thursday, police released the identities of the victims. They include 12-year-old Zoey Benoit, who was described by loved ones as "the strongest little girl you could meet".

Another 12-year-old victim, Kylie Smith, was "the light" of her family who had dreams of attending art school in the big city, her family said in a statement.

The tragedy has shaken the tight-knit town of about 2,400 people, which is set along a few winding rural roads in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

A memorial beside the school grew on Thursday, as people left flowers, teddy bears and handwritten notes in honour of the victims.

Tuesday's incident is one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canada, where such attacks have historically been rare.

Support has poured in from across the country, including from Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is scheduled to visit the town on Friday.

Many questions remain about the shooting, with investigators still trying to determine why 18-year-old suspect Jesse Van Rootselaar carried out the attack.

Van Rootselaar was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the school. The suspect's mother and step-brother were among the victims. Both were found dead at a local residence, police said.

Krauss said Van Rootselaar's family are well-known in the community. "That family is victimised, too," she added, noting that surviving relatives will also be grieving.

The suspect is believed to have killed their mother and step-brother before heading to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where police responded to reports of a shooting at around 13:30 local time on Tuesday.

Inside the school of 160 students, dozens sheltered in classrooms with their teachers as the attack unfolded. Among them was 17-year-old Darian Quist.

Quist said he and 15 others hid in their mechanics class, barricading the door with metal tables. At first, they were unsure why they needed to hide, he said. They later learned that there was an active shooter through an alert on their phones.

They hid for over two hours before Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and SWAT officers safely escorted them out.

Quist said the shooting has left him and his classmates angry, saddened and shocked. "That it happened in a place like this, it doesn't seem real," Quist said.

"But I know that it is," he added, "that the people who lost their lives are real."

Outside the school, parents gathered at a nearby community centre as they anxiously waited to be reunited with their children. Krauss, the pastor, said she went over to support a close friend whose son was at the school.

Krauss said her friend later learned that their child was among those who were killed.

"It was devastating, I don't know what else to say," she said through tears. "They are gutted. To lose a child is the worst thing in the world."

Krauss added that everyone in the town has been touched by the shooting in some way. "Everybody knows somebody," she said. "Even for those who haven't lost a loved one, they are still affected."

Tumbler Ridge's history is rooted in mining, with the industry still employing many of the town's residents. It is also known for its picturesque scenery, with tourists drawn to its UNESCO-recognised geopark - one of only five in Canada.

That natural beauty is how Bob Zimmer, the federal Conservative member of parliament representing the region, hopes Tumbler Ridge will be remembered, rather than for the tragedy that struck it this week.

"They want to be defined as a beautiful community with beautiful people," Zimmer told the BBC. "But for now, there's a dark cloud. It's just going to take some time to mourn."

Authorities did not say who had owned the previously seized guns, or how the suspect procured the weapons used in the shooting. They said Van Rootselaar had a gun licence which had expired in 2024.

Zimmer acknowledged there will be difficult conversations in the aftermath of the shooting, including on whether there is an "obvious need for more substantial mental health support".

But for now he said the community are focused on grieving.

"We're just here to give some hugs and tell (residents) that they are appreciated, and that there's hope," Zimmer said.

"But I think there are some serious questions that need to be answered after this."