Demolition underway at Tumbler Ridge school, site of B.C. mass shooting

Demolition work has begun at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, the location of a tragic mass shooting in British Columbia. The school, located in northern British Columbia, is the site of a fatal shooting that occurred earlier this year. Photos shared on social media show excavators dismantling the exterior walls of the building, exposing pink insulation, and leaving piles of metal scraps.

Eight people lost their lives in the February 10 mass shooting, which was carried out by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. The victims included her mother and brother, who were killed in their nearby home, and five children and an educational assistant at the school. Van Rootselaar later took his own life as police approached.

The demolition is taking place after the provincial and federal governments pledged funding to construct a new secondary school at a different site. In a joint press release on May 7, the governments acknowledged that the Peace River South School Board requested assistance following consultations with victims, families, community members, and experts. The governments stated that the funding was intended to expedite the removal of the existing school and ensure it was demolished in a trauma-informed manner.

Stu Bell, a former student at the school and now a parent in the community, expressed relief at the demolition. "The building must go," said Bell, emphasizing his long-held belief that the school needed to be removed.