The BC RCMP has released the names of the eight victims of the Tumbler Ridge shooting on Tuesday.
Police say that the names have been released in consultation with the families.
The RCMP says releasing the identities will support healing and help the community move forward together.
In total, five children and one educator were found dead in Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
They were three 12-year-old girls: Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert, and Kylie Smith; two boys: 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield and 12-year-old Abel Mwansa; and 39-year-old Shannda Aviugana-Durand.
Two more victims, believed to have been killed first, were found dead in a home on Fellers Avenue. They were 11-year-old Emmett Jacobs and 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs.
“The BC RCMP offers sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the entire Tumbler Ridge community that is grieving alongside them,” Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, BC RCMP Commanding Officer, said in a written statement.
“We will continue to support the families, respect their wishes, and walk with the community as it begins the long journey toward healing.”
Police stress that while the community is mourning, the focus should stay on the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy.
More to come.
