A pair of shootings in Canada at a small town school and home have left nine people dead and over 25 injured, with the suspected shooter also having died in the attack.
Eight people, including the suspected shooter, were killed on Tuesday (February 10) at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Tumbler Ridge, a town of about 2,400 people in British Columbia.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also revealed that two of those injured in the shooting have been airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Savannah Guthries shares doorbell footage
Meanwhile, in addition to the school tragedy, two more people were killed at a residential property and are believed to have been connected to the incident, though police stated that they ‘are not in a position to provide that definitively’.
RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd briefed reporters on the situation so far, which included the news that officers had identified the shooter, but declined to release a name or motive as the investigation remained ongoing, as he said: “We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy.”“As part of the initial response to the active shooting, police entered the school to locate the threat. During the search, officers located multiple victims. An individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self‑inflicted injury,” RCMP said in a statement.
Following the tragedy, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed his condolences to the families affected and said in a statement: “Our hearts are in Tumbler Ridge tonight with the families of those who have lost loved ones. Government will ensure every possible support for community members in the coming days, as we all try to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy.”
Unlike the US, where school shootings are heartbreakingly common, they continue to remain a rarity in their Northern neighbours Canada.
Tuesday’s shootings were Canada’s deadliest rampage overall since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia shot dead 13 people and started a series of fires that left another nine people dead.
In a bid to tackle mass shootings in the country, Canada’s government previously introduced gun control measures and recently extended this to a ban on all guns it considers assault weapons.
As a result of the tightened control measures, there have been just 4 major mass shootings in Canada since 2020. By comparison, in the same time period, the US has experienced 3,550.
So far, no details about the identity of the victims have been released, but messages of grief and sympathy have continued to pour out across the local community and Canada as a whole.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was devastated by the tragic loss of life, as he wrote on social media: « I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens.
« Our ability to come together in crisis is the best of our country – our empathy, our unity, and our compassion for each other. »
His office also announced that he will cancel his planned trip to the Munich Security Conference as the country reels from the tragedy.
Mark Carney has been praised for a speech where he condemned the US’ latest global political moves and reflected on the future of the world.
Donald Trump and his administration has caused quite a stir over the last year, in his second stint in the White House. While the US leader has been known for cavalier actions, more recently he has frustrated and annoyed his country’s closest allies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has recently been praised for addressing this tense atmosphere between the US and its counterparts during a speech at the annual World Economic Forum. The speech seemed to be so moving that the PM even received a standing ovation.
Without naming Trump, Carney addressed the US’ recent actions when it came to tariffs and the demands to annex Greenland.In part, he said: “Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.
“Over the past two decades, a series of crises in finance, health, energy and geopolitics have laid bare the risks of extreme global integration.
“But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.
“You cannot ‘live within the lie’ of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.
“The multilateral institutions on which middle powers have relied — the WTO, the UN, the COP — the very architecture of collective problem solving, are under threat.
“And as a result, many countries are drawing the same conclusions — that they must develop greater strategic autonomy: in energy, food, critical minerals, in finance and supply chains.”
Throughout his speech, Carny admitted that the international rules are not perfect and are filled with issues but the current shifts indicate the world could be moving towards a more dire situation.
He noted that while it might look appealing, nationalism across the globe can create a ‘world of fortresses’ that are ultimately ‘poorer, more fragile and less sustainable.’
On social media, videos of Carney’s speech have already begun circulating with many offering up praise and commenting on the fact it received a standing ovation.
Journalist Carole Cadwalladr called the speech ‘one for the history books’.
Writer and British consultant and strategist Alastair Campbell said: “Standing ovation for @ MarkCarney at Davos. (Those do not happen often). Brutally honest assessment of the situation Trump is creating for the world.”
Wall Street Journal’s Mike Bird also encouraged people to read Carney’s speech in full.
The US President was full of praise when meeting with Canada’s new Prime Minister on the steps of the White House, however, that didn’t stop him from seemingly donning the hat of director.
Yesterday (May 6), Donald Trump and Mark Carney sat down at the White House for their first meeting since Carney took over from Justin Trudeau – Carney winning the general election on April 28.
And lip reader Nicola Hickling has since weighed in on their initial interaction.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Hickling analysed Trump as congratulating Carney on ‘some beautiful win’.
« It was a perfect win, » Carney allegedly replied.
Trump continued, praising Canada’s new prime minister as winning in ‘a beautiful’ and ‘perfect’ ‘way,’ with Carney echoing ‘perfect’ in agreement.
However, wasting no time, in an abrupt turn to the conversation, Trump apparently issued some instructions to Carney.
According to Hickling, he said: « Just turn your face and wave over there. »
Seemingly unfazed, Carney reportedly obeyed, with Trump issuing his thanks and thanking everybody around too after the mics were switched off.
Trump then allegedly turned to Vice President JD Vance and other dignitaries, gesturing with his thumb and resolving: « I admire him. »
Body language expert Beth Dawson analyzed the same moment between the two world leaders, reflecting on Carney’s approach towards Trump as showing ‘assertiveness’ but also ‘a subtle note of submission’.
« The elbow touch, however, shows that he wants to establish connection on equal terms. His expression is one of determination. Carney is not passive, but he is also careful not to come across as overly forceful and he does seem slightly intimidated, » she added.
On the other hand, Trump displayed ‘an unmistakable display of dominance’, which continued when the pair then went on into the Oval Office, with Trump unable to bring up his suggestion for Canada to become America’s 51st ‘cherished’ state.Despite the ongoing tensions between the countries amid the tariff war, Trump and Carney doled out much praise on one another, with Trump describing Carney as a ‘very talented person’ and Carney branding Trump a ‘transformational president’.
Although, that didn’t stop Trump from mentioning Canada becoming part of America, to which the newly appointed prime minister echoed the same sentiment as his predecessor – Canada is ‘never [going to be] for sale’.
Carney said: « As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.
« Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever. »
Nevertheless, ever the one to see a ‘no’ as another battle to overcome, Trump responded: « I say, ‘Never say never’. »
On Thursday (April 17) a person believed to be a student opened fire at Florida State University, taking the lives of two people and injuring six others.
An FSU student named Phoenix Ikner is accused of the shooting and has been placed in custody, according to various reports.
The 20-year-old is reported as being the son of a police officer and having used one of his mom’s weapons during the shooting.
Here’s everything we know about Ikner so far.
Who is Phoenix Ikner?
Ikner is believed to be a student at FSU and, according to Tallahassee Police Department, was able to get hold of one of his mom’s weapons, which was found at the scene.
The department also noted the alleged shooter was ‘a long-standing member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council’.
« So he has been steeped in the Leon county sheriff’s office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have, » the spokesperson continued. « So it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons. »
Reflecting on the event as ‘tragic’ in ‘more ways than’ many ‘could even fathom,’ the department resolved: « We will make sure we do everything we can to make sure we prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will not be tolerated here in Leon county and I daresay, across the state and across this nation. »
According to CNN, over on Instagram, an account with Ikner’s name and photo included a quote reading: “You are my war club, my weapon for battle; with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms.”
Meanwhile, the student is a registered Republican, according to records.Who is Ikner’s mother?
Ikner’s mother is Sheriff Deputy, Jessica Ikner.
During a press conference, Tallahassee Police Department stated: « Our Deputy, Deputy Ikner, has been with the lieutenant sheriff’s office for over 18 years, she has a tremendous job that she’s done, her service to this community has been exceptional.
« Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons found at the scene and we are continuing our investigation into how that weapon was used and what other weapons, perhaps, he may’ve had access to. »
According to CNN, Leon County Court records have revealed that when Ikner was 10 years old, his biological mother was accused of violating a custody agreement by taking him to Norway, after saying she was travelling to South Florida for spring break.
She was sentenced to 200 days in jail. It’s unclear if she has since had contact with Ikner, however, the publication claims she posted on Facebook to say her son’s father hadn’t responded when she contacted him ‘to ask if everything is alright with my son, who studies at FSU’.What have people said about Ikner?
One FSU student Reid Seybold, told CNN that Ikner was previously asked to leave an extracurricular political club a few years ago, due to unsettling comments.
“He had continually made enough people uncomfortable where certain people had stopped coming. That’s kind of when we reached the breaking point with Phoenix, and we asked him to leave,” he said.
“It’s been a couple of years now. I can’t give exact quotes. He talked about the ravages of multiculturalism and communism and how it’s ruining America.”
Speaking of the shooting, a 21-year-old communications student named Ryan Cedergren told AP News that he and around 30 other students hid in the bowling alley area of the university after seeing others fleeing, noting ‘in that moment’ it was simply about ‘survival’.
A Canadian industry has faced some pushback following an order to cull hundreds of ostriches, despite protests from the farmers.
On November 7, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that it had shot dead a few hundred ostriches at a farm in Edgewood, British Columbia, the day before.
It defended this action by stating it was fulfilling a 10-month-old cull order over an outbreak of bird flu.
In a press release, the Canadian government stated: “The premises is still quarantined under the Health of Animals Act. Permission from the CFIA is required to enter property covered by existing search warrants, which includes areas of the farm subject to biocontainment requirements.
“After consulting with experts experienced in managing ostrich disease outbreaks, the CFIA concluded that the most appropriate and humane option was to use professional marksmen in a controlled on-farm setting. All depopulation activities were completed under CFIA veterinary supervision.”
The CFIA numbered the flock between 300 and 330 birds.However, this move has reportedly been called ‘unnecessary’ by those who owned the farm.
Owners of the farm have been attempting to fight the order in the courts and have argued that the surviving ostriches had shown no signs of illness and should be spared. They added that the flock was healthy and had ‘herd immunity’, which would therefore make them valuable for scientific research, according to a report by ABC News.
The farmers are eligible for up to CA $3,000 (US $2,136) per ostrich in compensation, according to the CFIA.
The farm’s spokeswoman, Katie Pasitney, has regularly been posting on Facebook arguing against the move and the situation.
After confirming that the birds had been culled, she called on people to send in their prayers and well-wishes.
Sharing her address, she wrote: “Prayers are powerful. I believe in the power of written prayer and intention. If anybody would want to take the time to send us written prayers, that would mean the world’s me, that energy is what the world needs right now.In a separate post, she called for a complete ‘restructure’ of the CFIA and argued that they had shown a lack of empathy.
In the post, it read: “How we’ve been treated at the end has hurt us to our core, the demonstration of lack of empathy and how they push people at their worst knowing that they’ve lost everything is so unthinkable.”
“My heart is broken but I will make it my mission to help create a better way.The canadian food inspection agency needs to be redone, there are some who have made mistakes beyond repair.
« This agency needs to be completely restructured, a new vision, a new face and something with meaning an agency that will protect preserve. Heal and treat not just kill.”
