The horrific events of Tuesday will likely last in the minds of residents of Tumbler Ridge, where six children and two adult victims were killed in a mass shooting.
As days of mourning and grief pass, surviving victims and their families are speaking out about what they lived through.
Thirteen-year-old Mya Larocque, one of the hundreds trapped inside the school during the attack, says she can still hear the gunshots and will never forget the fear she felt.
“I couldn’t have any way to contact my family. My phone was in the bin for the room,” said Mya, recalling the over two hours she spent in lockdown in a classroom.
She says she knew all the students killed in the school’s library.
“They were so young.”
Mya lives three doors down from the home, where police say the suspect’s half-brother and mother were also killed.
She shares the first name of one of her classmates, Maya Gebala, who is currently recovering from two gunshot wounds in BC Children’s Hospital.
Mya’s grandparents say the incident drove fear into the family’s hearts.
“As soon as we could get her, we went to the arena, and I grabbed her, and I held her, and I didn’t ever want to let her go again,” said Linda Larocque, Mya’s grandmother.
Linda says she was made aware of the attack while only a few steps away in a medical centre. She remembers hearing alarms and the final gunshot, and seeing bodies wheeled towards emergency services.
“That was a heart-flutter moment,” said David Larocque, Mya’s grandfather.
The family is now praying for everyone affected, worried for Mya’s mental health, and wanting more long-term mental health support for the entire community — including the family of the suspect.
“We will rally around those kids. And around those families. And the families of people who are hurt. And the families of, unfortunately, [the suspect] that started this. We will go around that family, too. We’ll take care of all of them,” said Linda.
Mya says she is still in shock and mourning the victims, but takes comfort in the love from her community.
“It’s good to know that there’s people there for everyone.”
Shelley Quist’s son Darian is new to Tumbler Ridge Secondary, as the family only moved to the community of approximately 2,400 last summer.
She says he also knew of all the victims, but he and his friends were barricaded in the mechanics’ shop classroom during the attack.
Meanwhile, she first heard about the attack while working in the medical centre building.
“I wanted to take off. I wanted to run down the hill to the high school. That was my first instinct,” said Quist.
But she says a coworker advised her against approaching the school.
“That’s also when I saw the RCMP officer with his gun drawn, crouching between vehicles in our parking lot.”
Quist says she called Darian, and reached him.
“He just told me — he’s like, ‘Mom, I can’t talk, but I’ll stay on the line with you.’”
A few minutes later, she says police issued an emergency alert about the active incident.
From his place in the school, Quist says Darian couldn’t hear what was going on.
“But the kids that were in the library, the Grade 7s and 8s. They did.”
While her son is recovering and taking small steps toward normalcy, Quist says the community is experiencing a “mixed bag” of emotions in the aftermath.
“There’s a lot of grief. There’s a lot of mourning,” said Quist.
She says she’s grateful for the local and additional support, but Tumbler Ridge will need many more conversations about its needs in the near future.
—With files from Cecilia Hua
