PM Mark Carney Speaks at Vigil for Tumbler Ridge Shooting Victims

Sun Feb 15 2026 00:52:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a poignant vigil attended by Prime Minister Mark Carney and other federal leaders, the small town of Tumbler Ridge, BC mourns the tragic loss of eight victims from a recent mass shooting, including six children.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with other federal leaders, attended a vigil in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where the community is mourning the loss of eight victims from a mass shooting earlier this week. Emphasizing national unity, Carney reassured residents that 'Canadians are with you.' The shooting, perpetrated by local teen Jesse Van Rootselaar, resulted in profound grief, particularly among the families and friends of the young victims.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has attended a vigil in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where hundreds gathered to mourn the eight victims killed in a mass shooting there this week.

He visited the small town on Friday alongside other federal leaders across the political aisle, as well as Canada's Governor-General Mary Simon, in a show of national unity.

Canadians are with you, we will always be with you, Carney told the crowd in a speech that paid tribute to the victims, which included six young schoolchildren.

Residents of the town are still reeling from the attack, with some visibly in tears and comforting one another as Carney and other leaders addressed their grief.

Many refused to speak to the media on Friday, noting that the presence of journalists in their otherwise quiet town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains had been overwhelming.

Carney, who has spent much of his time in office on overseas trade missions, canceled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference in light of the shooting. The prime minister invited the other federal leaders to travel to Tumbler Ridge on the same plane as him, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said.

We all lead political parties. But today? There are no Conservatives. There are no Liberals, New Democrats, Greens or Bloc Québécois, Poilievre said in his own remarks at Friday's vigil.

Ahead of the vigil, Carney and other leaders met families of the victims and first responders. They also laid flowers at a memorial near Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which has grown over the week. Families of the victims and local residents attended, as well as people who drove in from nearby small communities in northern British Columbia, to pay their respects.

Police named the suspect in the shooting as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the school. The shooting left a total of nine dead, including the suspect.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that the suspect did not appear to have any specific targets and was engaging randomly with anyone in contact. Evidence indicates he was prepared and had seized a total of four firearms from various locations.