10 Dead in Canadian School Massacre — And Police Are Calling the Killer a ‘Gunperson’

A mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia has left 10 people dead and more than 25 wounded in one of the deadliest school attacks in Canadian history. The shooter opened fire at the small-town high school shortly after 1:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday, killing six people inside the building before being found dead from what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A seventh victim died while being transported to the hospital, and two additional bodies were discovered at a nearby residence believed to be connected to the attack — reportedly the shooter's own mother and younger brother. Two more victims were airlifted with life-threatening injuries, while roughly 25 others were treated at a local medical center. The school, which serves grades 7 through 12 in a remote town of just 2,400 people, has been closed for the remainder of the week.

The shooter has been identified by family members and independent media as 18-year-old Jesse Strang. Juno News reported that it spoke directly with Strang's uncle, Russell G. Strang, who confirmed that his nephew was responsible for the attack and was transgender. A YouTube account believed to belong to the shooter features the transgender pride flag and lists "she/her" pronouns. Locals who grew up with Strang described him as a "quiet kid" who was often seen sitting alone. Despite this emerging picture, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have refused to officially confirm the shooter's identity, citing privacy concerns, and RCMP Northern District Commander Ken Floyd declined to release a name or elaborate on a motive during a press briefing Tuesday evening.

What has drawn almost as much attention as the massacre itself is the language Canadian police chose to describe the killer. The RCMP's initial emergency alert to residents described the active shooter as a "female in a dress with brown hair." Then, in subsequent communications, police referred to the deceased suspect as a "gunperson" — not a gunman, not a shooter, but a "gunperson." The term immediately went viral, with critics blasting the RCMP for appearing more concerned with avoiding misgendering a mass murderer than with transparently informing the public about who just slaughtered children in a school. Journalist John Stempin of NPR noted the absurdity, and accounts like Libs of TikTok and End Wokeness amplified the backlash across social media within hours.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the attack "devastating" and postponed a scheduled defense announcement and trip to Germany. British Columbia Premier David Eby described it as an "unimaginable tragedy" and was momentarily lost for words when asked what he would say to parents afraid to send their children to school. But for millions watching from both sides of the border, the tragedy has been compounded by a law enforcement response that seems to prioritize ideological sensitivities over the victims. Nine innocent people — potentially including children — are dead, families are shattered, and a small Canadian town will never be the same. And the official word from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the person who did it? Gunperson.