Canadian police named the suspect in a school and home shooting in British Columbia as 18-year-old local resident Jesse van Rootselaar.
Police said they were still searching for a motive for one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings in which the assailant killed nine people and then themselves in the small, close-knit community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
At Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, six victims’ bodies were recovered as well as that of the suspect. One of the 10 victims died while being transported from the school to a hospital and two other bodies were discovered at a private residence.
Deputy commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the suspect was “born as a biological male, who . . . approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female”.
McDonald said there was no information to suggest any of the victims in the secondary school were specifically targeted. Most of the dead, he said, were “quite young” and born in 2012 and 2013.
He confirmed police had attended a residence on multiple occasions over the past several years, dealing with mental health concerns relating to the suspect.
The deputy commissioner said the suspect was apprehended on different occasions for assessment and follow-up under mental health laws.
Police, he said, had attended the suspect’s residence approximately two years ago, where firearms were seized.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney made an emotional statement to journalists arriving at parliament in Ottawa on Wednesday.
“It’s obviously a very difficult day for the nation,” said Carney. “This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love.”
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney speaks to the media about the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in which 10 people were killed, including the suspect. Photograph: Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images
He added: “We will get through this. We will learn from this. But right now, it’s a time to come together, as Canadians always do in these situations, these terrible situations, to support each other, to mourn together and to grow together.”
Carney, who had already suspended plans to travel to Germany for the high-level Munich security conference, said he had ordered flags on all government buildings be flown at half mast for the next seven days.
At parliament, Carney and other parties planned to stand for a moment of silence.
The attack has left people reeling in Canada, where mass shootings are rare, especially compared with the US. While the country has relatively high levels of gun ownership, it has imposed much stricter laws than its southern neighbour, including a ban on assault-style firearms and a freeze on the sale of handguns.
Carney said he was also dispatching the federal public safety minister, Gary Anandasangaree, to Tumbler Ridge, an isolated town of fewer than 2,500 residents in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, more than 1,000km north-east of Vancouver by road.
In addition to the 10 deaths, at least two other people were hospitalised with serious or life-threatening wounds and as many as 25 people were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The town’s mayor, Darryl Krakowka, said the small community was like a “big family”.
British Columbia’s public safety minister, Nina Krieger, said “speed and professionalism” saved lives, adding that a small detachment from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had “responded in two minutes”.
An alert sent by the police to people in the area had described the suspect as “female in a dress with brown hair”. Police superintendent Ken Floyd later confirmed at a news conference that the suspect described in the alert was the same person found dead in the school.
Floyd said police would not comment on the possible motive of the attacker. “We’re following all leads to try to determine the connection to the shooter,” he said. “I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why’, but we will try our best to determine what transpired.”
It was not clear how many of the dead or injured were minors.
A 12-year-old girl was said to be “fighting for her life” in a Vancouver hospital after being shot in the head and neck, according to a widely shared Facebook post local media said was written by the girl’s mother, Cia Edmonds.
“She was a lucky one, I suppose. Condolences to the other families during this tragedy,” the post read. “This doesn’t even feel real.”
A screengrab from a video showing students leaving Tumbler Ridge secondary school in British Columbia after the shooting. Photograph: Jordon Kosik via AP
The district of Tumbler Ridge issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, calling the shooting a “deeply distressing” incident. “We recognise that many residents may be feeling shocked, scared and overwhelmed,” the district said.
“In the days ahead, we know this will be difficult for many to process. Please check in on one another, lean on available supports and know that Tumbler Ridge is a strong and caring community.”
The Tumbler Ridge secondary school has 160 students in grades seven to 12, roughly ages 12 to 18, according to its website. The school will be closed for the rest of the week and counselling will be made available to those in need, school officials said.
“There are no words that can ease the fear and pain that events like this cause in a school community,” the Tumbler Ridge parent advisory council said in a statement. “We want families to know that the safety and wellbeing of students and staff are paramount, and we are grateful to the first responders and emergency personnel who acted quickly and professionally.” – The Guardian