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Residents of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., are coming together to grieve Tuesday’s devastating deadly shooting at the town’s high school.
The close-knit community has been left reeling after eight people — including six children — were killed. Flags remain at half-mast.
The town has been quiet with the exception of a visit by Premier David Eby, but community members continue to meet near a memorial site created during a vigil held Wednesday night to remember those who were lost.
Flowers, candles, teddy bears and other mementos have been carefully placed at the base of a tree just outside the local community centre, on a hill overlooking the school.
The RCMP has released the names of the eight Tumbler Ridge, B.C., residents killed in a senseless mass shooting that has devastated the small community still searching for answers.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and councillors had previously walked down the hill toward the school, placing flowers by the side of the road near Front Street and Southgate Street. The memorial is an extension of that gesture and has been secured with a small set of metal fencing.
- Cross Country Checkup is asking: How do you get to the other side of a tragedy? What helped your community heal? Leave your comment here and we may read it or call you back for Sunday’s show.
The vigil was well attended, with a large crowd gathering and holding candles to bring light to the dark evening and tragedy the community is still struggling with.
The day after the vigil, a local resident was offering extra candles for those who wanted to place them on the doorsteps of their homes, as a gesture of support and solidarity.
Residents continued to meet at the tree to place items, embrace each other, cry and check in on their neighbours, friends and family.
At the local grocery store, a table was set up with coffee and treats, with a sign reading: “Please share a cup of comfort.” Another small but important gesture by the community.
A pair of teenagers were seen hugging each other in the store, with tears being wept by both, as they reconnected after the tragedy.
For many people, the news of this tragedy will be their first introduction to the small northeast B.C. town.
For those already familiar with Tumbler Ridge, it’s long been a destination for outdoor recreation as one of five of UNESCO Geoparks in Canada — rich with dinosaur fossils, waterfalls and world-class hiking trails — sits right in town.
Desirae Pisarski, whose 12-year-old daughter, Kylie Smith, was killed in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., told CHEK News about her daughter’s artistic talent, her figure skating and the shock of losing her ‘amazing little girl.’
Close ties to neighbouring communities
Tumbler Ridge has a population of roughly 2,400 people, who are connected to the greater whole of more than 60,000 people living in northeast B.C.
There is a shared sense of grief, but also care, being felt right across the Peace region.
The mother of Ticaria Lampert spoke with media for the first time since a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., claimed the lives of her daughter and seven other victims. Sarah Lampert said she called 12-year-old Ticaria her ‘tiki torch’ and she has ‘always been a blazing light in the darkness.’
In nearby Hudson’s Hope, 162 kilometres north, a moment of silence was held on Wednesday by the local mayor and council.
Hudson’s Hope Mayor Travous Quibell says the news has been distressing for many of his residents who have close ties to the Tumbler Ridge community, including his own children.
“When something like this happens, it’s not distant. It’s felt everywhere,” said Quibell.
“In small and rural communities like ours, the lines between places are really thin, we are a family. Our families span community boundaries, our children learn and play together.”
A memorial for the victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting grew quickly, just steps from the school where six were killed. CBC’s Caroline Barghout shows us how the town is grappling with the tragedy and, for some, the terrifying moments inside the school during the shooting.
Similar sentiments are being shared across the Peace, both by individuals on social media, local politicians and neighbouring municipalities.
Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld attended the vigil on Wednesday night and shared that it was a powerful moment of love and remembrance.
“The sheer support for our friends, families, and neighbours was overwhelming. Hugs were shared. Shoulders were offered. Lives lost were honoured, and the lives still with us were held a little closer,” Neufeld wrote on social media.
“Tumbler Ridge is strong because its people are strong,” he added.
Subscribe to CBC’s Fort St. John Weekly for a round-up of the best news and stories from B.C.’s Peace and Northern Rockies.
