On the evening of February 13th, a memorial vigil was held in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia (BC) for the victims of the mass shooting that occurred on February 10th.
Premier Mark Carney, Governor General Mary Simon, and BC Premier David Eby were among the attendees, along with many dignitaries from the federal and provincial governments. “Tonight, we come together as a community in grief,” said Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, “to stand with these families in their immeasurable pain and to remind each other that none of us bear this pain alone.”
In addition to the Prime Minister, the federal government was represented by Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poirier, Quebec Coalition Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP (New Democratic Party) interim leader Don Davis, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who showed Canada’s solidarity with the tragedy.
“By standing together in your hometown, we want to let you know that Canadians stand with you and always will,” Prime Minister Carney said, before reading out the names of the six victims who died at the school and offering his condolences.
Premier Eby also spoke of the brave actions of teachers and students during the lockdown, saying: “It is in these heroic acts that the seeds of recovery for this community lie.” The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the community is in mourning.
At a press conference on the 13th, police revealed that they believe the suspect, Jesse Van Reutzeler, was not targeting anyone and that the attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary was random. Police have also seized at least four guns in connection with the incident. Two are at the suspect’s home, one of which is an unregistered shotgun and is believed to have been used in the two murders, but the police explained that it was not a gun previously seized and returned by police. The other gun is still under investigation. The two guns seized at the school were one long gun and one modified rifle.
At a previous press conference, it was described as a modified handgun. The police clarified that neither gun had been previously seized by police but added that further details about the guns are still under investigation. Authorities have made multiple mental health-related visits to Ruetzeler’s home over the past few years, and he has been detained at least twice under BC’s Mental Health Act, resulting in him being taken to hospital in certain circumstances.