Student locked in classroom during Canada shooting explains 'escape plan'
A shooting in Canada has rocked the country after nine people were killed, making it Canada’s deadliest school shooting in almost 40 years.
Six victims were found dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary school on Tuesday (10 February) with another dying whilst being rushed to hospital. A further two died in a shooting at a nearby residency.
The suspect, who was described as a woman wearing a dress with brown hair, was found dead at the school with a self-inflicted injury, marking a total of ten deaths.
More than two dozen additional victims have been hospitalised, with the premier of British Columbia David Eby calling it an ‘unimaginable tragedy’.
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Survivors of the shooting have begun speaking out about the horrific ordeal, with one revealing the ‘escape plan’ him and fellow students had after barricading their classroom.
Darian Quist, who goes to Tumbler Ridge secondary, spoke to CBC Canada about the ordeal.
Darian described how he was carrying on with a normal day at school when he said that an alarm went off indicating that the school was going into lockdown.
He said that, after closing the doors, ‘for a while he didn’t think anything was going on’.
He added: “Once everything started circulating we realised something was wrong.
“We got tables and barricaded the doors, I believe we sat in there for two hours, two hours and thirty minutes.”
He stated that after this time, officers were able to escort them out safely.
The student said that it was ‘tense’, adding: “We tried to keep things light and keep each other motivated and not fall into grief, but once people sent you some photos it definitely set in what was really happening.”
The photos he was sent of scenes at the school were ‘disturbing’ and ‘full of blood’.
Though he did not hear anything from their hiding spot, he did state that they had formulated an ‘escape plan’ after receiving the horrifying photos.
Darian said: “I was definitely pretty scared… we were formulating an escape plan if anyone did come up to the door, we were going to run outside of the garage door and out of the back towards the visitors centre.”
Darian, who is in the 12th Grade, the final year of High School in Canada, was joined in the interview by his mother Shelley.
She described how a co-worker told her what was going on, leading her to head to the high school and call him and insist he keep her on the phone even if he has to stay quiet.
She broke into tears, saying: “It’s one of those things where you just never think this is going to happen and I always tell him, he’s my youngest, he’s my angel.”
Darian later issued a message to the local community of Tumbler Ridge, calling for people to ‘hold each other close’ and saying: “We are going to be able to get through this.”
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."
Topics: World News, Crime
Michael Slavin