THE CALL THAT HAUNTS A FATHER FOREVER: Dad’s Heart-Stopping Moment as 12-Year-Old Quinn’s Terrified Voice Screams ‘Dad, I’m Scared… Don’t Come Here!’ Before Line Goes Dead in Tumbler Ridge School Massacre Horror
In the quiet, snow-dusted town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia—where families know each other by name and kids play hockey on frozen ponds—a father’s worst nightmare unfolded in just 10 agonizing seconds.
At exactly 2:18 p.m. on February 10, 2026, Dennis Campbell’s phone rang. On the other end was his 12-year-old daughter Quinn, her voice trembling with pure terror: “Dad, I’m scared…”
Then came the desperate warning that still echoes in his mind every waking moment: “Don’t come here, Dad…”
The line went dead.
Those haunting words—uttered amid the chaos of gunshots ripping through Tumbler Ridge Secondary School—have left Dennis shattered, replaying the brief call over and over as one of the darkest days in Canadian history claimed eight lives, including five children and a beloved educator.
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The remote mining community nestled in the rugged Rockies was thrust into national mourning when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar—armed with firearms and driven by a troubled past of mental health struggles—first killed her mother and 11-year-old half-brother at home before storming the school. There, she unleashed terror, killing six before turning the gun on herself as RCMP officers closed in.
But for Dennis Campbell, the horror was intensely personal. He had dropped Quinn off at school that morning like any other day, waving goodbye without a hint of the nightmare ahead. His 15-year-old son Seth had walked to class separately. Then the call came—short, frantic, and cut off abruptly.
In emotional interviews with CBC News, Dennis recounted the heart-pounding wait: “She phoned me at 2:18 from school telling me that there were shots fired… seconds later, ‘Dad, it’s shooting. It’s shooting. Don’t come down here.’”
He froze, phone in hand, mind racing with unimaginable fear. Was his little girl hiding? Running? Hurt? The silence after those words felt eternal—hours of pure agony as rumors swirled, parents flooded social media, and emergency sirens pierced the cold air.
Dennis credits heroic teachers who shepherded students into the gym’s equipment room, barricading doors and shielding kids as gunfire echoed through hallways. Quinn, a Grade 7 student who loves soccer and spending time with friends, hid there with older students, her mind flooded with worry for classmates and family.
“I was just thinking about all of my friends, if they were okay. Thinking about my family,” Quinn later shared, her young voice steady despite the trauma.
Miraculously, both Quinn and her brother Seth emerged physically unharmed—but the emotional scars run deep. “My daughter lost four friends that day,” Dennis said, tears welling. “I’ve been crying all day.”
The community of just 2,400 souls—where everyone knows everyone through hockey leagues, church gatherings, or neighborhood barbecues—has been forever changed. Makeshift memorials of teddy bears, flowers, candles, and handwritten notes have sprung up outside the school and in town squares, a heartbreaking tribute to the innocent lives stolen.
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Vigils lit the night sky with flickering flames as residents huddled together, sharing hugs and sobs under the northern lights. Federal leaders visited to pay respects, while the nation grappled with how such violence could strike a place so peaceful.
The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had a history of police visits for mental health concerns, her firearms licence long expired. Questions swirl: How did she access the guns? What warning signs were missed? The RCMP investigation continues, with autopsies completed and scenes processed, but answers offer little comfort to grieving families.
For Dennis, the focus remains on healing. Quinn is home now, surrounded by love, but nightmares linger. “Those three words at the 10-second mark… they haunt me every single day,” he admitted. The plea “Don’t come here, Dad” wasn’t rejection—it was protection, a child’s desperate attempt to keep her father safe from the monster inside those school walls.
In the aftermath, Tumbler Ridge unites in grief and resilience. Classes won’t return to the scarred building anytime soon—portables and alternative sites are being arranged. Counselors flood in, support pours from across Canada, and parents hold their children a little tighter.
Yet the call echoes. A father’s voice cracks when he speaks of it. A daughter’s bravery in those terrifying moments. A community’s unbreakable spirit amid unimaginable loss.
As snow continues to fall on the mountains surrounding Tumbler Ridge, one truth remains: No parent should ever hear those words. No child should ever have to say them.
The healing has only just begun—but the haunting memory of that 10-second call will last forever.
