Canada is mourning after a devastating shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where nine people were killed and at least 25 others injured in what authorities describe as one of the deadliest attacks in the country in decades.

The violence unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence in the remote community of roughly 2,400 residents, located about 415 miles north of Vancouver.

Six victims were found dead inside the school, and a seventh person died while being transported to hospital. Authorities later discovered two additional victims at a nearby home believed to be connected to the incident.

Police also located the suspected shooter inside the school. According to officials, the individual appeared to have died from a self-inflicted injury.

Tumbler Ridge Secondary School serves approximately 175 students. One Grade 12 student, Darian Quist, described the chaos to CBC, saying classmates rushed to barricade doors using tables in an effort to protect themselves.

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“It felt like I was somewhere that I had only seen across a TV,” Quist said, capturing the disbelief felt across the small town.

Chief Superintendent Ken Floyd of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that the deceased suspect matched the description sent in an emergency alert earlier in the day. The alert described the individual as a “female in a dress with brown hair.”

While authorities believe they know the suspect’s identity, they have not released further details, including whether the person had any direct connection to the school or victims. Floyd acknowledged that uncovering a motive may prove difficult.

“I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why,’ but we will try our best to determine what transpired,” he said during a virtual press conference. “We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy.”