The Bishop of Prince George, Canada, has called on the faithful to turn to prayer and penance after a mass shooting in the British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge left nine people dead and dozens injured, in what is being described as one of the worst acts of violence in recent Canadian history.
In a statement issued on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bishop Stephen Jensen said the “unimaginable tragedy that struck the community of Tumbler Ridge yesterday has traumatised us all”. He noted that the season of Lent would begin in a week’s time and urged Catholics to embrace it as “a time for more intense prayer and penance, personal sacrifice, to beg God’s healing grace for our lives and for the world”.
“The most effective response we can offer for the intentions of the dead and the survivors, their families, the emergency responders, the parish community and the town, is our own prayer and penance,” he said. “In the providence of God, those are the tools entrusted to us that we can use to address suffering and help bring mercy and healing to all.”
Referring to the Marian feast, he added: “In the words of the familiar prayer, we turn to her ‘mourning and weeping in this valley of tears’. May we all unite our prayers to Our Lady’s intercession to ask for God’s presence and mercy in our suffering world.”
The attack took place at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where six people were killed and at least 25 others injured. Two further victims, the suspect’s mother, 39, and his 11-year-old stepbrother, were found dead at a nearby home.
Police have named 18-year-old TransJesse Van Rootselaar as the suspect. Officers said he was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The motive for the attack has not yet been established and investigations remain ongoing.
Fr Jeevan Bandanadham, pastor of Holy Cross Mission in Tumbler Ridge and Our Lady of Peace Parish in Chetwynd, said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the shooting. In a message addressed to families and friends, he wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the tragic events in Tumbler Ridge. Words cannot fully express the sorrow and grief that such a loss brings.”
“Please know that our prayers are with you in this time of mourning,” he continued. “May God, in His infinite mercy, bring comfort to your hearts, give strength to endure this pain and grant eternal peace to those who have passed. We stand with you as a community in prayer and support, trusting in God’s love to carry us through even the darkest moments.”
Messages of solidarity and assurances of prayer were posted on the parish’s social media pages from across Canada. On Wednesday evening, hundreds of mourners gathered in Tumbler Ridge’s main square to observe moments of silence and to support one another. A further vigil took place outside the British Columbia legislature in Victoria.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the shooting. “I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” he said in an online statement.
“Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country, our empathy, our unity and our compassion for each other.” He confirmed that Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree was coordinating the federal response.
David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, urged residents “to wrap the people of Tumbler Ridge, to wrap these families with love, not just tonight, but tomorrow and into the future”. Speaking at a press conference, he said: “As British Columbians, I know that one of the things we do best is look after each other, and I’m asking British Columbians to look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight.”
He added: “This is the kind of thing that feels like it happens in other places, and not close to home in a way that this feels like for many British Columbians and Canadians.”
Mass shootings are rare in Canada. The Tumbler Ridge shooting ranks among the deadliest in the country’s history. In British Columbia, it is the worst mass shooting since the 1996 Vernon massacre, when 10 people, including the suspected gunman, were killed.
In April last year, 11 people were killed and more than 30 injured when an SUV drove through a crowd at a Filipino festival in Vancouver. A suspect, Kai-Ji Adam Low, has been charged in connection with that attack.
