There will be a coroner’s inquest into the tragic events that occured in Tumbler Ridge.
British Columbia’s chief coroner, Dr. Jatinder Baidwan announced today that the public inquest will review the circumstances that led to the mass shooting in the small northern BC community on Feb. 10.
"The news that an individual had killed two adults and six children in a private residence and a local secondary school quickly spread across national and international media. With that, came passionate public discussions about mental health and possible gaps in support systems,” a statement from Baidwan said.
"It is with this in mind that I have reflected on the BC Coroners Service's responsibility to reinforce confidence in the system and support public safety in British Columbia when it comes to all sudden, unnatural and unexpected deaths, and all children's deaths.”
According to Baidwan, the inquest will provide “an independent and transparent forum” to publicly examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
That includes assessing systemic and procedural issues, as well as making “evidence-based recommendations” aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
"My sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to the families who have lost their loved ones,” Baidwan added. “The grief they are experiencing at this time is unimaginable.”
The inquest will involve the participation of a jury made up of five to seven British Columbians.
Baidwan will be responsible for ensuring the jury maintains the goal of fact-finding, not fault-finding, according to the BC Coroners Service guidelines to a coroner’s inquest.
An announcement with more details about the timing of the inquest will be provided once our investigative phase is concluded.
