Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has attended a vigil in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where hundreds gathered to mourn the eight victims killed in a mass shooting there this week. Carney visited the small town on Friday, along with other federal leaders across the political aisle, as well as Canada's Governor-General Mary Simon, in a show of national unity.
Canadians are with you, we will always be with you, Carney told the crowd in a speech that paid tribute to the victims, which included six young school children. Residents in the town are still reeling from the attack, with some visibly in tears and comforting one another as Carney and other leaders addressed their grief.
Many refused to speak to the media on Friday, noting that the presence of journalists in their otherwise quiet town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains has been overwhelming. Carney, who has spent much of his time in office on overseas trade missions, canceled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference earlier this week in light of the shooting.
The prime minister invited the other federal leaders to travel on the same plane with him to Tumbler Ridge, said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. We all lead political parties. But today? There are no Conservatives. There are no Liberals, New Democrats, Greens or Bloc Québécois, Poilievre said in his own remarks at Friday's vigil.
Ahead of the vigil, Carney and other leaders met with families of the victims and first responders. They also laid flowers at a memorial, which has grown over the week, near Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Attendees of the vigil included families of the victims and local residents, as well as people who drove in from nearby small communities in northern British Columbia to pay their respects.
The vigil followed a tragic shooting incident where the suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials stated that Van Rootselaar seemed to have engaged in a reckless act that affected the community significantly. As investigations continue, many within the town express disbelief and sorrow, with statements reflecting the devastation left in the wake of the attack.
Canadians are with you, we will always be with you, Carney told the crowd in a speech that paid tribute to the victims, which included six young school children. Residents in the town are still reeling from the attack, with some visibly in tears and comforting one another as Carney and other leaders addressed their grief.
Many refused to speak to the media on Friday, noting that the presence of journalists in their otherwise quiet town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains has been overwhelming. Carney, who has spent much of his time in office on overseas trade missions, canceled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference earlier this week in light of the shooting.
The prime minister invited the other federal leaders to travel on the same plane with him to Tumbler Ridge, said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. We all lead political parties. But today? There are no Conservatives. There are no Liberals, New Democrats, Greens or Bloc Québécois, Poilievre said in his own remarks at Friday's vigil.
Ahead of the vigil, Carney and other leaders met with families of the victims and first responders. They also laid flowers at a memorial, which has grown over the week, near Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Attendees of the vigil included families of the victims and local residents, as well as people who drove in from nearby small communities in northern British Columbia to pay their respects.
The vigil followed a tragic shooting incident where the suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials stated that Van Rootselaar seemed to have engaged in a reckless act that affected the community significantly. As investigations continue, many within the town express disbelief and sorrow, with statements reflecting the devastation left in the wake of the attack.
