"Residents of the Canadian mining town Tumbler Ridge largely agree that Tuesday 10 February began like a normal day. The cloudy haze that settled over the valley was typical. So too was the chill of winter. There were no hints that the quiet and comfortable routine of daily life in the mountains would be irrevocably shattered in one of the country's worst ever acts of mass violence."
"Hugs between friends linger tighter and longer. Grown men fall to their knees, their eyes red-rimmed at the injustice of it all. Residents are robbed of the ability to speak. What do you even call this? What word is there for this? said Don McKay, whose 17-year-old son, Duncan, was in gym class when the shooter arrived at the school and opened fire."
"I've encouraged him to speak to help make sense of it, said McKay. But it also helps. Because I just don't have the words. Sometimes, for a moment, I do. But most of the time I can't. At a vigil on Thursday night, the mayor, Darryl Krakowka, said crying was not a sign of weakness, but of strength, and the community needed to stay strong."
An active shooter attacked Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday 10 February, opening fire at a school and killing eight people, most of them children aged 12 to 13. Students were in classes when the shooter arrived; many ignored early bangs until a teacher locked them in a storage room. The attack unleashed deep grief, rage and disbelief across the town. Families publicly mourned after police released victims' names. The children were remembered as dreamers, dancers and athletes; one girl, Ticaria, was described as an energiser bunny and was less than two months from her 13th birthday. The mayor urged residents to stay strong and allowed open displays of grief.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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