On February 10, 2026, the small community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia experienced a school shooting. This tragic event hurt students, families, teachers, the entire town and the world. After something so terrifying, it’s normal to react in different ways. Some may feel sad, scared, angry, or numb. Some may have trouble sleeping, concentrating, or even going to school or work. These are normal reactions to abnormal events, but can sometimes overwhelm our abilities to cope.
The following information is geared to help people of all ages understand normal reactions to abnormal events. Skip to the end for extra resources and we hope you take good care out there.
Understanding Trauma Reactions
Violence and harm can create trauma reactions that affect our bodies, emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Trauma reactions can often seem like other mental or physical health concerns, such as anxiety or depression. The following reactions can be indicative of post traumatic stress:
Body
- Sleep problems or nightmares
- Headaches, stomach aches, immune problems, more frequent illness
- Feeling jumpy or tense – on alert and can’t relax
Emotions
- Fear, anxiety, panic, hypervigilance for danger
- Sadness, grief or numbness
- Feeling detached from yourself or reality – like you’re watching your life as a scene in a movie
- Anger or irritability, less patience
Thinking
- Trouble concentrating, remembering things or making decisions
- Replaying the event (or other past or potential future violent events) in your mind
- Feeling unsafe even in relatively safe places
- More negative thoughts about yourself, feeling like something is wrong with you
- Thinking that you could have (or should have) done something differently to prevent the trauma
Behaviours
- Avoidance of things that remind you of the violence – school, public spaces, etc
- Withdrawing from friends or family
- Seeking more reassurance, needing more support to do simple tasks
- Using substances or addictive behaviours more than usual
Children and teens may show trauma symptoms differently. Some may act out, regress in how they self-sooth, or reenact violent events in play.
Moving from Individual Trauma Reactions to Systemic Patterns
Each person responds to violence and trauma uniquely, but it’s important to remember that violence does not happen in a vacuum. Problematic systems (the rules our society adhere to) shape who is most at risk, who is shielded, and whose voices are heard and respected.
Patriarchy
Patriarchy teaches harmful ideas about power, aggression, and control. Rules inherent with Patriarchy create environments where anger and domination are normalized and valued. Patriarchy teaches ruthless adherence to harmful gender norms despite the havoc they create for all humans. Misogyny (hatred of anything considered feminine) is a feature of Patriarchy and contributes to all people being silenced and harmed. Patriarchy suggests that feelings of grief and fear are weak and must be hidden to stay “good enough”.
White Supremacy
Socially constructed racial hierarchies can make some students more visible targets for microaggressions, bullying, exclusion, or surveillance. Communities shaped by racial inequality often have fewer resources to prevent harm or support healing. Rules of white supremacy are incorrect, oppressive and harmful to all humans.
Colonisation
Indigenous communities face intergenerational ongoing trauma from colonization, including residential schools, loss of land, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, a higher rate of incarceration, ongoing gaslighting and breaches of treaties by the government, and too many more to mention. This history can intensify the impact of violence and neglect, especially in rural or resource-centric communities.
Exploitative Capitalism
Our society in 2026 has more wealth inequality than during the French Revolution. The structure of our world often values profit over wellbeing and human rights. Underfunded schools, limited mental health services, and unequal access to education and recreation can leave communities vulnerable and children unsupported.
When these pathological systems combine, they create conditions where extreme violence can happen. Trauma is not just an individual problem — it is connected to social, political, and economic systems.
Harmful Narratives to Avoid
After mass violence, people are incredibly stressed and therefore may look for simple explanations. Two common myths can cause extra harm in the aftermath of violence:
- Mental illness causes violence — False. Most people with mental health challenges are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence.
- Marginalized groups are dangerous — False. Blaming trans, racialized, or Indigenous youth spreads stigma and can increase violence against them. Safety is about care and support, not fear and exclusion.
What We Can Do to Prevent Violence
Prevention happens at many levels — individual, family + friends, school, community, and government.
Individuals
- Try to recognise and understand your own stress and trauma reactions. Journaling, talking to supportive people, or working with a counsellor can help.
- Speak up against harmful narratives online and in conversations when you feel safe enough to do so.
- Be brave and reach out to friends and neighbours who may be struggling.
Families
- Listen without judgment. Ask more questions, be curious and open.
- Create routines and safer spaces at home.
- Encourage children and teens to express feelings and ask questions. Be ready for conversations to happen at random or planned times.
Schools
- Infuse indigenous knowledge led, anti-oppression programs into all lesson planning.
- Provide access to counsellors and social workers who are well resourced and supported.
- Include students in safety planning and decision-making.
Governments and Communities
- Fund schools, mental health care, and youth programs equitably so they can operate sustainably.
- Address systemic oppression and support marginalized communities in all areas of society – education, legal, healthcare, finance, etc.
- Create policies that reduce access to weapons and prevent violence.
Provide long-term community healing resources after traumatic events.
Extra Resources
In response to the recent tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, several free and low-cost mental health supports are available, including resources coordinated with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC).
Immediate Free Support in Tumbler Ridge
- Northern Health: Provides community mental health services in Tumbler Ridge at 1-844-645-7811.
- Emergency Support: Call 310-6789 (no area code needed) for BC’s Mental Health Line.
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 9-8-8 for 24/7 support.
- Homewood Health: Offering free, confidential support 24/7 for those without an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) by calling 1-833-375-0269.
- Free Shuttle/Support: A free shuttle is operating between Tumbler Ridge and Dawson Creek via Chetwynd for those needing assistance.
BCACC and Clinical Counselling Resources
The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors is working to coordinate free counselling support for those affected in Tumbler Ridge.
- Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs): You can search for RCCs in the North Peace region through the BCACC website, which allows filtering for in-person or online services.
- Connection to Care: A program providing free, confidential mental health services by BCACC counsellors, which may be accessible to specific industry workers.
Other Free/Low-Cost Options
- 2-1-1 BC: Call or text 2-1-1 to be connected to local, non-profit, or government-funded mental health services in your area.
- Foundry BC: Offers free, confidential virtual counseling for youth ages 12-24 and their caregivers (1-833-308-6379).
- Here2Talk: Free, 24/7 counselling for post-secondary students at 1-877-857-3397.
- Indigenous Support: KUU-US Crisis Response Service at 1-800-588-8717.
- For the most up-to-date information on local, in-person, or virtual options, calling 2-1-1 is recommended
Moving Forward
Violence and trauma reactions can be very overwhelming, but so is our power to respond differently. Understanding the harmful systems that shape violence — patriarchy, white supremacy, colonisation, and exploitative capitalism — helps us understand the root cause of violence and therefore how to prevent it from continuing.
By caring for ourselves, supporting each other, and advocating for societal change, we hope to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.
We can grieve, we can heal, and we can work together to build safer, fairer, and more caring communities.
If you want counselling support at Peak Resilience but aren’t sure who to choose, please fill out our get-matched form and we’ll send a counsellor recommendation within 48 (business) hours.
