Canada school shooting latest: Police reveal details about attacker and victims

These are the latest pictures reaching us from Tumbler Ridge just over 24 hours after the attack started.

The area around the secondary school remains cordoned off, with police continuing their work.

Now that police have finished giving an update, let's look back at what we learned...

• Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said police have identified the attacker as an 18-year-old female named Jesse Van Rootselaar;
• He later clarified that the suspect identified as female but was born a biological male;
• Van Rootselaar was not currently attending Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and had dropped out around four years ago;
• McDonald also said police visited Van Rootselaar's home responding to mental health-related calls over several years; 
• When questioned by reporters, police said a 39-year-old found at a residence was the mother of the suspect, with the 11-year-old thought to be their brother or step-brother;
• Those killed at the school were a 39-year-old teacher, three 12-year-old female students and two male students aged 12 and 13;
• Police said eight people were killed. The attacker also died.
  

Police finish their update by confirming the ages of the victims.

At the school, they say those killed were:

• A 39-year-old female teacher
• Three 12-year-old female students
• Two male students aged 12 and 13

They say two further victims, a 39-year-old female and an 11-year-old male, were found at a local home.

When questioned by reporters, police said the 39-year-old was the mother of the suspect, with the 11-year-old thought to be their brother or step-brother.

The attacker's family members were killed first, before the school shootings.

After identifying the attacker as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar (see 19.39 post), police are now asked about any further details they can provide.

"We identify the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and on social media," Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says.

"I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male who approximately, [according to] the information that I have, six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female, both socially and publicly."

Police have issued an update on the number of people killed in the shootings.

Initially, they said nine people were killed, with the attacker also being found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald now says eight people were killed. The attacker also died.

"Initially, it was believed that one of the victims, a female with significant injuries who was transported on the scene by our members and then transitioned to paramedics, had succumbed to her injuries," he says. 

"Police have since confirmed that is not the case. She is alive."

Police have identified the attacker as an 18-year-old female resident named Jesse Van Rootselaar from Tumbler Ridge.

As we've been reporting, the suspect was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says the female adult victim is the mother of the suspect.

McDonald later clarifies the suspect identified as female but was born biological male (see 19.54 post).

We're expecting to hear from police in the next few moments after the shootings in the remote town of Tumbler Ridge.

Stay with us, we'll bring you updates as we get them.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney pays tribute to the first responders during his address to his country's parliament.

He also praises the teachers who acted with "extraordinary courage".

"In the darkest of moments, they showed the best of our country," he says.

Carney goes on to say there will be "important questions to ask" and "difficult conversations to have" in the days ahead.

"We owe that to the victims and their families," he says.

"But now it's time for grieving and remembrance, now is for the people of Tumbler Ridge, for a community that is enduring the unimaginable."

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address his country's parliament in Ottawa.

It's the only official item on his schedule today, which has been heavily scaled back after the shootings in Tumbler Ridge.

We'll bring you text updates, and you can watch along in the stream below.

Here's the scene at the Peace Tower in Ottawa showing the Canadian flag flying at half-mast.

It follows the country's Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing flags on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast for the next week (see 15.10 post).