02/11/26 08:39:00
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02/11 08:37 CST Canadian Olympic team is 'heartbroken' by deadly school
shooting in British Columbia
Canadian Olympic team is 'heartbroken' by deadly school shooting in British
Columbia
By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Canadian fans and athletes at the Milan Cortina Olympics woke up
Wednesday to learn of a school shooting in British Columbia that left at least
seven people dead and many others wounded.
Seven people were killed in Tuesday's shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary
School, while two more were found dead at a nearby home, Canadian authorities
said. A woman believed by police to be the shooter was also found dead,
apparently from a self-inflicted wound.
"It's very unusual and tough to hear. It's not something you ever expect to
hear anywhere in Canada, let alone a small community," Winnipeg native Thomas
Hepworth said near Milan's historic Duomo cathedral.
Hepworth, a scientist who lives in Germany, was in town to watch Canada's men's
hockey team, one of the favorites for the gold medal.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said more than 25 people were wounded, including
two who were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
The school, located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, has 175 students
from Grades 7 to 12, according to the provincial government's website. The town
is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) north of Vancouver, near the border
with Alberta.
The Canadian Olympic Committee, in a statement on Wednesday, pledged its
support to victims and their families.
"We are heartbroken by the news of the horrific school shooting that occurred
in British Columbia. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved
ones, those who are injured, and the entire Tumbler Ridge community. Team
Canada stands with everyone affected as they navigate difficult days ahead,"
the statement said.
School shootings are rare in Canada, which has strict gun control laws.
Edmonton native Gerry Fardoe, also at the Duomo cathedral, said Canadians
complete comprehensive training before they can own a gun.
"I have a couple guns. I don't hunt but I have a remote cabin where we have
bear issues. I've used it just to scare them off," said Fardoe, also in Milan
to see the Canadian men's team.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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