An independent Canadian news outlet is reporting that the shooter who killed at least nine people and injured at least 25 at a British Columbia high school Tuesday was identified as a transgender-identifying male by a family member.
While other news outlets have not confirmed the shooter’s identity,Juno Newssaid it spoke with the uncle of Jesse Strang, who confirmed that he was the shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
Strang, his uncle said, had died in the shooting. Authorities confirmed that this appeared to be from a self-inflicted injury, theCanadian Broadcasting Corporationreported.
Six were found dead inside the school, while a seventh died while being transported to the hospital. Two other bodies were found at a residence which was believed to be connected to the shooting.
“It’s hard to know what to say on a night like tonight. It’s the kind of thing that feels like it happens in other places and not close to home,” said British Columbia Premier David Eby, as per theU.K. Guardian.
The District of Tumbler Ridge, meanwhile, said that the incident was “deeply distressing” and that they recognized “that many residents may be feeling shocked, scared and overwhelmed” in the town of roughly 2,500.
“In the days ahead, we know this will be difficult for many to process. Please check in on one another, lean on available supports, and know that Tumbler Ridge is a strong and caring community.”
However, hours after the attack, little official information was availableabout the identityof the shooter, despite the Royal Canadian Mounted Police being confident that they had both found the sole murderer and connected the two deaths at a residence to them.
Police initially said in an active shooter alert that the suspect was a “female in a dress with brown hair.”
During a news conference, however,RCMPSuperintendent Ken Floyd referred to the shooter as a “deceased gunperson,” a phrase which raised some eyebrows.
Source: VidNews » Feed
