A student who was barricaded in a classroom during the school shooting that took place in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia yesterday has spoken of the moment he understood how serious it was.
Canada is in mourning following a tragic shooting where nine people were killed and at least 25 others injured on Tuesday, February 10.
The deadly attacks, which took place at both a secondary school and a nearby home, mark one of the nation’s deadliest shootings in decades.
Six victims were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, with a seventh dying en route to the hospital.
Authorities also discovered the body of the suspected shooter at the school, who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted injury. Two additional victims were found at a nearby residence – police believe their deaths are connected to the attack.
Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student at Tumbler Ridge, spoke in an interview with CBC Radio West, recalling the moment he realised just how serious the incident actually was.
Quist told how he arrived at school in the afternoon. Almost immediately, alarms began to blare, alerting students and teachers to get themselves to safety. Quist ended up barricaded inside a classroom for over two hours.
“It was definitely tense,” he explained. “I think we were all very nervous. So we tried to keep things light and keep each other motivated and not fall into grief. Once people sent me some photos, it definitely set in what was actually happening.”
The student said that he had seen some “disturbing” photos featuring blood, recalling how something clicked in him after that.
Quist added: “I think it’s when it all really set in. I was definitely pretty scared. I was wondering if we were formulating an escape plan if anyone did come up to the door, we were going to run up to the door and out of the back.”
After hiding in a classroom for two hours with 15 students and one teacher, police escorted Quist out safely with his ‘hands up at all times’.
Canadian federal police Chief Superintendent Ken Floyd confirmed that the suspect found dead at the school matches the description sent in an alert to residents’ phones earlier in the day.
The alert described the individual as a “female in a dress with brown hair.”
While authorities believe they know the identity of the attacker, they have not released further details, including any connection the suspect may have had with the school. Floyd acknowledged that understanding the motive will be challenging:
”I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why’, but we will try our best to determine what transpired,” he said during a virtual news conference. ”We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy.”
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