Tumbler Ridge mass shooting: What we know so far

Canadian police say nine people have been killed in a mass shooting at a school and home in the remote rural community of Tumbler Ridge in the western British Columbia province.

Another 25 people were injured, and the suspect's body was also found at the scene.

This is what we know so far about one of the deadliest gun attacks in Canada's history.

When did the attack start?

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said they received a report of an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School at 13:20 local time on Tuesday (20:20 GMT).

The police responded by deploying officers to the scene, and issuing an active shooter alert for the rural community and a surrounding area.

"Shelter in place, lock your doors and refrain from leaving your home or business at this time" local residents were told.

A "hold and secure" lockdown was activated at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and nearby Tumble Ridge Elementary School.

British Columbia's Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Nina Krieger said police officers arrived at Tumbler Ridge Secondary school "within two minutes" of receiving the call of an active shooting.

She said such a swift response "no doubt" saved lives.

Tumbler Ridge has about 2,400 residents, and its secondary school has 160 students in Grades 7-12.

What we know about the victims

In an update, the RCMP said that "six additional individuals, not including the suspect, have been located deceased inside the school.

"Two victims have been airlifted to hospital with serious or life‑threatening injuries. A third victim died while being transported to hospital," an RCMP statement said.

"Approximately 25 others are being assessed and triaged at the local medical centre for non‑life‑threatening injuries."

The statement added that another two victims were found in a nearby home.

"As part of the ongoing investigation, police have identified a secondary location believed to be connected to the incident, where two additional victims were located deceased in a residence."

The RCMP said police were still searching for more potential victims: "Officers are conducting further searches of additional homes and properties to determine whether anyone else may be injured or otherwise linked to today's events."

The names and ages of the victims were not immediately known.

What is known about the suspected attacker

Canadian authorities said they knew the identity of the suspect - but are yet to release further details.

The suspect was found dead inside the school with a self-inflicted injury following the shootings.

At a news conference, RCMP North District Commander Chief Supt Ken Floyd confirmed the suspect was the same person police described in an earlier alert sent to local residents.

That alert described a "female in a dress with brown hair" - but the person's name or gender are yet to be publicly released.

The police also said they were investigating the attacker's possible motives and whether the suspect had any connection to the school.

'We got tables and barricaded the door' - a survivor's account

Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, and his mother Shelley Quist, spoke to CBC Radio West host Sarah Penton about what happened.

Darian said shortly after he got to his class at 13:30 local time, an alarm sounded in the hallways with instructions to close the doors because of a lockdown.

He said the doors were closed for a while, when he and his classmates realised something was wrong.

He said he was receiving photos on his phone from the scene.

"We got tables and barricaded the doors" for over two hours, Darian said, until police arrived to escort them out of the school.

Once outside, he reunited with his mother at a nearby community centre.

Shelley Quist said that on her phone she had earlier heard police "kicking" her son's classroom door down and several students being escorted out of the school.

"That's when I left home. We live very close; a block away from the community centre. I literally almost ran over there," she told CBC.

How Canada reacted to the attack

Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka told CBC that the community is small and tight-knit, and that he expected the victims to all be people he knows.

"I will know every victim. I've been here 19 years, and we're a small community," he said, after emerging from the town hall when the shelter-in-place order was lifted.

"I don't call them residents. I call them family."

Tumbler Ridge town councillor Chris Norbury told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the whole community was in shock after the shootings.

"We don't lock our doors here. It is an incredibly safe community... we don't have to worry about crime here," he said, speaking live from the scene.

"This is a big tragedy here," he said.

The councillor described going to the secondary school and seeing emergency services blocking the entrance.

"We have three police vehicles in our town, we are very small. We are a small community. We know each other, we all know the victims. They are our friends, our friends' children."

British Columbia Premier David Eby described the shootings as "a devastating and unimaginable tragedy".

"We can't imagine what the community is going through. But I know it's causing us to all hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight," he said.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to suspend his planned trip to Germany.

The rural community is located about 670km (415 miles) north-east of Vancouver.

It is primarily known for its coal mines, and also the discovery of dinosaur fossils - with Tumbler Ridge marketing itself as the land of dinosaurs and waterfalls to attract tourists.