Student barricaded in classroom for hours explains moment he realised how serious Canada school shooting was

A student who was barricaded in a classroom during the horrific school shooting in Canada has described his experience.

The country was rocked by its worst school shooting in nearly 40 years yesterday when a 'woman in a dress' opened fire on a school and a home in British Columbia.

Nine people have been killed with at least 25 injured in the shooting, which took place at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School yesterday (10 February), with the suspect's body also found at the scene with a self-inflicted injury.

Now, Darian Quist, a Grade 12 student at the school, has revealed the graphic moment that he realised just how serious the incident actually was, while speaking in an interview with CBC Radio West.

The secondary school student was barricaded inside a classroom for over two hours after arriving in the afternoon, with alarms sounding almost immediately and alerting students and teachers to get themselves to safety.

Darian said: "It was definitely tense. I think we were all very nervous. So we tried to keep things light and keep each other motivated and not fall into grief. Once people sent me some photos, it definitely set in what was actually happening."

Nine people have died (CBC)

He suggests that once he saw some of the 'disturbing' photos which featured 'blood', he realised just how scary the situation was.

Darian added: "I think it's when it all really set in. I was definitely pretty scared. I was wondering if we were formulating an escape plan if anyone did come up to the door, we were going to run up to the door and out of the back."

He also revealed that after around two hours of being in a classroom alongside around 15 other students and one teacher, police were able to escort them out safely with their 'hands up at all times'.

Darian was able to meet up with his mother at the community centre a few hundred metres away.

Speaking in a news conference, Canadian federal police Chief Supt Ken Floyd confirmed that the suspect who was found dead is the same person police described in an alert sent to phones.

The alert described the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair.

Seven were fatally wounded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School (Nine News)

Floyd explained that while the motivation for the attack isn't known, he added: "I think we will struggle to determine the 'why', but we will try our best to determine what transpired."

He also explained: "We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy."

Canada has previously introduced a ban on all guns considered assault weapons, with yesterday's events the worst since the infamous 1989 École Polytechnique massacre which saw 14 female students killed.

Posting on X, Canada's PM Mark Carney said: "I am devastated by today’s horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. My prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones to these horrific acts of violence."