Federal and provincial leaders joined a large crowd of mourners in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Friday evening to pay respects to the victims of this week’s horrific mass shooting. The emotional event began with attendees—some holding pictures of the deceased, lanterns and candles—singing the national anthem outside Tumbler Ridge Town Hall. “Tonight, we gather as a community in grief,” said Mayor Darryl Krakowka. “To stand with the families who are carrying unimaginable pain, and to remind one another that none of us walks through this alone.” Prime Minister Mark Carney stood alongside Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP interim leader Don Davies and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, in a unified show of solidarity with the devastated community. “Standing here together in your home, we wanted you to hear that Canadians are with you and we will always be with you,” Carney said. “Whatever portion of your sadness that Canadians can bear to help you ease your heavy load, we will gladly do so.” He thanked the RCMP officers who responded to the shooting within two minutes, and the teachers and students who tried to protect each other as the tragedy was unfolding. Carney also named the six victims killed at the school—Zoey Benoit, Abel Mwansa, Ticaria Lampert, Kylie Smith, Ezekiel Schofield, and Shannda Aviugana-Durand—and offered condolences to the grieving families grappling with their losses. “When we leave here tonight and some of you go back to quiet houses, some of you go back to empty rooms, please know that you’re not alone,” Carney said. “Canada is a community that relies on each others’ grace, and may that grace bless us all.” The federal leaders arrived in Tumbler Ridge together Friday afternoon to meet with first responders, health workers and families, and to hear their stories of heroism and heartbreak. “Some of you have told me that, even this morning, you keep waiting for your little one to come running into your bedroom,” said Poilievre. “But all there is, is silence.” The Conservative leader noted the community is known for its “hearty nature,” having faced wildfires and endured a pair of coal mine closures in the early 2000s. “To the people of this incredible town, you are the backbone of our nation,” Poilievre said. “You fight your own battles, but you’re never—never—far away from helping a neighbour in need.” This week’s mass shooting, one of the worst in Canada’s history, thrust the small northeastern community of around 2,700 people into the international spotlight. In the days since the tragedy, some grieving families have chosen to share the memories of their loved ones with the world—including the mother of 12-year-old Ticaria Lampert, who described her daughter as strong-willed, fearless and always looking to make others laugh. “She just wanted to bring her sunshine to everyone,” Sarah Lampert told reporters on Thursday night. “She was everything, especially to me.” Meanwhile, authorities have continued piecing together how the day of the shooting unfolded. At an update Friday, Deputy Commissioner Dawyne McDonald, officer in charge of the B.C. RCMP, said investigators do not believe the shooter had any specific targets in mind at Tumbler Ridge Secondary. “They were prepared and engaging anybody and everybody they could come in contact with,” McDonald said. By that point, the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, had already allegedly killed her mother and brother at their family home. The RCMP has now confirmed four guns were seized in connection with the shooting, two at the home and two at school. Authorities had visited the property multiple times over recent years, and apprehended Van Rootselaar under the Mental Health Act more than once. Officers had also previously seized guns from the home, but the weapons were later returned. So far, the RCMP has not confirmed whether any of the guns used in this week’s shooting were among those previously seized.
