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12 years and 11 months. That was the time Pastor Abel Mwansa had with his son before a Tuesday afternoon changed everything forever. The tragedy in Tumbler Ridge didn’t just take eight lives; it took the heart of a community. From Abel Jr. to 12-year-old Kylie May, the stories of innocence lost are leaving Canada breathless with sorrow. We honor the ‘kind and beautiful souls’ who went to school and became stars in the sky.

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“Lord, I thank you for 12 years and 11 months with you.” 💔 Pastor Abel Mwansa wrote to his son — Abel Mwansa Jr., 12 years old — a “good kid” who had never missed school

“Lord, I thank you for 12 years and 11 months with you.” 💔

Pastor Abel Mwansa wrote to his son — Abel Mwansa Jr., 12 years old — a “good kid” who had never missed school.

Hours later, the schoolyard in Tumbler Ridge became the scene of a shooting that left eight dead and dozens injured.

Kylie May, 12 years old, also did not return home. Her family called her “a beautiful, kind, innocent soul.”

Just one afternoon.

An entire town lost its childhood.

👇 Farewells that left Canada speechless 👇

Canada mass shooting victims: ‘A good kid’ and a ‘beautiful, kind innocent soul’ among those mourned by close-knit community

Canada mass shooting victims: ‘A good kid’ and a ‘beautiful, kind innocent soul’ among those mourned by close-knit community

Eight people, including six children, were killed in a deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, with the suspected shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, found dead with a self-inflicted injury.

Eight people, including six children, were killed in a deadly mass shooting that rocked Tumbler Ridge, a small, close-knit community located in British Columbia.

Among those killed Tuesday in what has become one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history are Abel Mwansa Jr. and Kylie May, both 12, according to their families. Police are yet to release the victims’ identities.

More than 25 other people were taken to a local clinic with possible injuries, but police later said no “discernible physical injuries were identified.” There were two victims with “significant injuries” airlifted to the hospital.

The suspected shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who police say killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at a nearby home before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, was also found dead with a “self-inflicted injury.”

Police said the teenager was born biologically male but had been transitioning to female over the past six years. She was not a student at the school but it was not immediately clear if she had previously studied at Tumbler Ridge Secondary.

Eight people, including six children, were killed in a deadly mass shooting that rocked Tumbler Ridge in northwestern British Columbia, Tuesday (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)

Eight people, including six children, were killed in a deadly mass shooting that rocked Tumbler Ridge in northwestern British Columbia, Tuesday (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)

A 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, a 12-year-old male student and a 13-year-old male student were killed at the school.

Here is everything we know about the victims of the shooting.

Abel Mwansa Jr.

The son of a pastor, Abel Mwansa Jr., was killed Tuesday, according to an announcement from Burning Bush Ministries International – City of Grace Chapel shared on Facebook.

Abel Mwansa Jr., 12, was one of the victims killed in one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history (Abel Mwansa/Bwalya Chisanga via Facebook)

Abel Mwansa Jr., 12, was one of the victims killed in one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history (Abel Mwansa/Bwalya Chisanga via Facebook)

“This loss has brought profound grief to the family, the church, and all who knew and loved him. We kindly ask the Christian community, friends, and well-wishers to stand with the Mwansa family in prayer, love, and support during this difficult time,” the announcement read.

The boy’s parents, pastor Abel Mwansa and Bwalya Chisanga, mourned their son on social media, writing in a post that he will be greatly missed.

Mwansa said in another post that his son was a “good kid” who never missed school, writing in all caps, “Lord I thank you for 12 years 11 months we spent with you.”

Kylie May

Kylie May was remembered as a “beautiful, kind, innocent soul,” on a GoFundMe page created by Kylie’s aunt, Shanon Dycke.

Kylie May, another 12-year-old who was fatally shot, was remembered by family as a 'beautiful, kind, innocent soul' (Shanon Dycke via GoFundMe)

Kylie May, another 12-year-old who was fatally shot, was remembered by family as a ‘beautiful, kind, innocent soul’ (Shanon Dycke via GoFundMe)

“We are completely devastated and have no words as we try to process the magnitude of the situation,” Dycke wrote.

The fundraiser was created to cover expenses for Kylie’s family in the coming months, including a way to memorialize Kylie, which has yet to be planned.

“My heart aches for the other families involved and for the loss of their children. I am so sorry,” Dycke wrote. “To the families with children still in the hospital; keep fighting. We are sending you prayers.”

It’s unclear whether the families of the other six victims killed in the shooting have commented publicly on their loved ones and police are yet to formerly identify those who died.

Maya

A GoFundMe page has been created, identifying a girl named Maya as one of the victims injured in the shooting.

Krysta Hunt, the cousin of Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, organized the fundraiser to support the 12-year-old girl through her recovery. More than $192,700 has already been raised.

“All we know is that Maya made it through transport from Tumbler Ridge to Vancouver Children’s Hospital and currently in critical care,” Krysta wrote on the page verified by CNN. The Independent has not verified the fundraiser, and authorities have yet to release the names of those injured in the shooting.

In a note from Maya’s mother included on the page, she said her daughter is “fighting for her life while they try to repair the damage” from a gunshot wound to the head and neck.

Edmonds said in an update, “What felt like a shred of hope, feels as fragile as life itself, but we just cant give up hope.”

Retired French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis had just two words for her former partner’s gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Papadakis, 30, skated with Guillaume Cizeron for years, and the two even won gold together in 2022. But earlier this year, she accused Cizeron, 31, of being “controlling” and “demanding” in the pages of her memoir So as Not to Disappear. So when Cizeron, 31, took home yet another free dance gold with his new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry on Feb. 11, Papadakis responded with an Instagram post featuring two well-known stress relievers: a glass of wine and a pack of cigarettes. “Logging off xxx,” she captioned the post. Cizeron has denied Papadakis’s claims against him, telling Reuters in a statement that he was the target of a “smear campaign” and would be pursuing legal action. But Papadakis has continued to defend her decision to speak out, writing in a Feb. 8 Instagram post that she was choosing to share her experiences in the sport “because I believe in a sport where young athletes don’t have to endure what I did in order to achieve their dreams.” Related Stories French Ice Dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron Win Gold amid Ongoing Controversy France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry (L) and France’s Guillaume Cizeron warm up before the figure skating ice dance-free dance final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP via Getty Images) Why French Ice Dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron Are at the Center of Olympic Controversy Laurence Fournier Beaudry and France’s Guillaume Cizeron compete in the figure skating team event ice dance-rhythm dance during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. “It is however incredibly difficult to make sport safer when survivors’ voices are still being silenced. I had to end my competitive career because I could no longer tolerate abuse. And now, as a result of speaking up about it I’ve lost my job,” she wrote. “I don’t single myself out as a victim. I use my experience to highlight a reality: as long as survivors are punished for speaking out, the sport cannot truly change or become safer. As the Winter Olympics unfold, I encourage you to engage critically with the spectacle. Spectators have power, and the way we choose to watch, support, question, or look away helps shape the culture of the sport.” Papadakis was hired as an NBC commentator for the Milan Cortina Games, but was fired from the gig amid the release of her book, as the network felt it was a conflict of interest with Cizeron competing. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of Team France skate during the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance on day eight of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 12, 2022 in Beijing, China. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Matthew Stockman/Getty “We respect Gabriella’s right to tell the story of her life and career. At the same time, her new book creates a clear conflict of interest,” NBC told The New York Times in a statement in January. “Our responsibility is to deliver coverage that our audience can trust to be free of bias — whether actual or perceived — and we regret that is no longer possible given the circumstances.” In a recent conversation with USA Today Sports’ Christine Brennan, Papadakis said she understands why survivors of abuse don’t speak out. “I think it’s a bigger societal issue because we often wonder why survivors don’t speak out about abuse and why things don’t change, and this is because it has tremendous negative impact on the survivors’ lives,” she said. “And as long as a society we don’t do anything to change that, things won’t change and ignoring the problems doesn’t make them go away.” Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Cizeron’s new partner has also dealt with scandal. Beaudry paired up with him in March after her boyfriend and former skating partner Nikolaj Sørensen was suspended from the sport following a sexual assault allegation leveled by a coach and former skater. He has denied the allegation, according to CBC, and his six-year suspension was overturned in June. To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
Retired French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis had just two words for her former partner’s gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Papadakis, 30, skated with Guillaume Cizeron for years, and the two even won gold together in 2022. But earlier this year, she accused Cizeron, 31, of being “controlling” and “demanding” in the pages of her memoir So as Not to Disappear. So when Cizeron, 31, took home yet another free dance gold with his new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry on Feb. 11, Papadakis responded with an Instagram post featuring two well-known stress relievers: a glass of wine and a pack of cigarettes. “Logging off xxx,” she captioned the post. Cizeron has denied Papadakis’s claims against him, telling Reuters in a statement that he was the target of a “smear campaign” and would be pursuing legal action. But Papadakis has continued to defend her decision to speak out, writing in a Feb. 8 Instagram post that she was choosing to share her experiences in the sport “because I believe in a sport where young athletes don’t have to endure what I did in order to achieve their dreams.” Related Stories French Ice Dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron Win Gold amid Ongoing Controversy France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry (L) and France’s Guillaume Cizeron warm up before the figure skating ice dance-free dance final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP via Getty Images) Why French Ice Dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron Are at the Center of Olympic Controversy Laurence Fournier Beaudry and France’s Guillaume Cizeron compete in the figure skating team event ice dance-rhythm dance during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. “It is however incredibly difficult to make sport safer when survivors’ voices are still being silenced. I had to end my competitive career because I could no longer tolerate abuse. And now, as a result of speaking up about it I’ve lost my job,” she wrote. “I don’t single myself out as a victim. I use my experience to highlight a reality: as long as survivors are punished for speaking out, the sport cannot truly change or become safer. As the Winter Olympics unfold, I encourage you to engage critically with the spectacle. Spectators have power, and the way we choose to watch, support, question, or look away helps shape the culture of the sport.” Papadakis was hired as an NBC commentator for the Milan Cortina Games, but was fired from the gig amid the release of her book, as the network felt it was a conflict of interest with Cizeron competing. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of Team France skate during the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance on day eight of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 12, 2022 in Beijing, China. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Matthew Stockman/Getty “We respect Gabriella’s right to tell the story of her life and career. At the same time, her new book creates a clear conflict of interest,” NBC told The New York Times in a statement in January. “Our responsibility is to deliver coverage that our audience can trust to be free of bias — whether actual or perceived — and we regret that is no longer possible given the circumstances.” In a recent conversation with USA Today Sports’ Christine Brennan, Papadakis said she understands why survivors of abuse don’t speak out. “I think it’s a bigger societal issue because we often wonder why survivors don’t speak out about abuse and why things don’t change, and this is because it has tremendous negative impact on the survivors’ lives,” she said. “And as long as a society we don’t do anything to change that, things won’t change and ignoring the problems doesn’t make them go away.” Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Cizeron’s new partner has also dealt with scandal. Beaudry paired up with him in March after her boyfriend and former skating partner Nikolaj Sørensen was suspended from the sport following a sexual assault allegation leveled by a coach and former skater. He has denied the allegation, according to CBC, and his six-year suspension was overturned in June. To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

Gabriella Papadakis won gold with Cizeron in the same event in 2022, four years before she accused him…