At least ten people including the suspected shooter are dead after a mass shooting at a secondary school in Canada.
Six victims were found dead inside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Colombia while a seventh died on the way to hospital, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.
Two more people were later found at a residence in the town which officers believe is connected to the incident.
More than 25 others have been injured including two with life-threatening injuries who were airlifted to hospital.
A statement added that upon entering the school police found a deceased individual they believed to be the shooter with a self-inflicted injury.
Canadian media has reported that the shooter was female, after an official alert described the suspect as a female in a dress with brown hair.
The RCMP’s Ken Floyd did not include any details about the suspect in a statement but confirmed that investigators had identified the person involved
Floyd added that police are investigating how the victims are connected to the shooter and that the motive remained unclear.
The town of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is located more than 600 miles north of Vancouver, near the border with Alberta.
The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
In a statement, the municipality of Tumbler Ridge said: “There are no words sufficient for the heartbreak our community is experiencing tonight.”
“We are devastated by the loss of life and the profound impact this tragedy has had on families, students, staff, and our entire town.”