At least nine people died in a tragic shooting in Canada. Seven victims were shot inside a secondary school. Police later found two more people dead at a nearby home, federal authorities confirmed.

The attack happened in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Police also found the attacker dead. Officers believe the person died by self-inflicted injuries. Authorities issued an alert about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident left 27 people injured. Two people suffered serious injuries. Twenty-five others had minor injuries that were not life-threatening, the RCMP said in a statement.

Police reached the school soon after getting the alert. Officers searched the building carefully. During the first search, they found six victims shot dead inside the school. The suspect was not among them at that time.

Deaths in residence ‘connected’

Police later found another place linked to the attack. Officers discovered two more victims dead inside a residence. Police said they “identified a secondary location believed to be connected to the incident, where two additional victims were located deceased in a residence,” the statement said.

Some Canadian media reports claimed the attacker was female. However, the RCMP did not confirm the identity or share details about the suspect.

“This was a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation, and the swift cooperation from the school, first responders, and the community played a critical role in our response,” the RCMP’s northern district commander, Ken Floyd, said in a statement.

Local schools shut

Authorities decided to close all local schools in Tumbler Ridge for the rest of the week. Officials took this step after the deadly incident.

“Due to the tragic events that unfolded in the community of Tumbler Ridge today, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week," the statement said.

Tumbler Ridge is a small and quiet town. Around 2,400 people live there. It lies more than 1,100 kilometers north of Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia.

The municipality expressed deep grief after the attack. “We are devastated by the loss of life and the profound impact this tragedy has had on families, students, staff, and our entire town,” the municipality said.