At least 10 people were killed and more than 25 injured in shootings at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in British Columbia on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, authorities have confirmed. The suspected gunman, identified as 18-year-vintage Jesse Strang, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the school.
Police were initially alerted to the shootings at a home in Tumbler Ridge before responding to an active shooter situation at the secondary school. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) described the suspect during the initial alert as a “female in a dress with brown hair.”
Authorities have since identified Jesse Strang as a transgender woman, according to reporting from Juno News, which spoke with the suspect’s uncle, Russell G. Strang. Strang had reportedly begun to transition approximately six years ago and used she/her pronouns, as evidenced by a public YouTube account believed to be owned by the suspect. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald confirmed that the suspect “was born a biological male… who approximately six years ago began to transition to female, and identified as female.”
The shootings unfolded rapidly, prompting a province-wide active shooter alert. Two individuals were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The scale of the violence represents one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history, surpassed only by the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, which claimed 14 lives, and a 2020 shooting rampage in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people.
Police had previously visited the Strang family home on multiple occasions due to concerns regarding Jesse Strang’s mental health. According to Deputy Commissioner McDonald, the suspect had been taken into custody for mental health assessments on more than one occasion, and firearms were seized from the home two years prior. Those firearms were later returned to the lawful owner after a petition.
Two firearms – a long gun and a modified handgun – were recovered at the school, though it remains unclear whether these were the weapons previously confiscated and returned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences following the shootings, stating on X, “Deeply shocked by the horrendous shooting in Canada. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
The RCMP has not yet released details regarding a potential motive for the shootings. Deputy Commissioner McDonald stated it was “too early to say” if there was any correlation between Strang identifying as transgender and the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.
