B.C. Conservative MLA Larry Neufeld, who represents the riding that Tumbler Ridge is located within, is calling for a public inquiry into the mass shooting that left nine people dead at a school and home in the rural northeastern community.
Premier David Eby has indicated his willingness to hold either a public inquiry or a coroner’s inquest once the police investigation concludes.
Eby said there is no defined timeline for this, but a public inquiry cannot begin until the police have finished investigating and determined whether there will be any associated prosecutions related to, for example, the origin of the guns used in the shootings.
“Whether it’s a coroner’s inquest or a public inquiry, we are committing, I am committing, on the record that we will use any tools available to ensure that all questions are answered about this tragedy,” Eby responded in the legislature to Neufeld’s call.
Neufeld said he is satisfied with the premier’s level of commitment to a public inquiry after having a conversation with him in the hallway.
“This is about the victims, this is about the families, and this is about the community, and I will work with anyone that will assist, regardless of the colour t-shirt that they wear,” Neufeld said.
Neufeld made it clear his calls for an inquiry were not a suggestion that the RCMP officers involved failed to do their jobs properly.
“The individuals that were on duty were inside of the school within two minutes of the call,” Neufeld said. “They are heroes. They are national heroes.”
He wants answers to questions such as why the mental health system failed to provide proper care for the suspect and why OpenAI failed to notify police that it had concerns about the suspect’s online activity.