Police visited home of Tumbler Ridge suspect multiple times over mental health concerns
Guardian4 days
Canada: Police Made Mental-Health Visits, Seized Guns Before B.C. School Shooting
Did authorities fail to use existing laws to prevent tragedy or is society's failure to address mental-health risks in trans youth thwarting police from stopping crimes?
Above: Flowers are left at the base of a tree during a community vigil at a makeshift memorial in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Feb. 12. Image credit: Paige Taylor White/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Under Canada's Red Flag laws, authorities had all the tools to prevent this tragedy but failed to prioritize public safety over individual rights. Guns were returned to a household despite a resident's severe mental health crises, in a community with virtually no local mental health supports. The real outrage is the legal and system failures, not the shooter's identity — the focus must be on protecting lives and ensuring oversight where the system is clearly broken.
Right narrative
Society’s refusal to treat transgender identity in minors as a serious mental-health issue is putting everyone at risk. When police and officials prioritize pronouns over real threats — with the RCMP now sealing records on why firearms were returned to Strang's household — they fail to keep guns out of the hands of clearly unstable individuals. Affirming delusions instead of addressing psychological distress lets warning signs escalate into tragedies like Tumbler Ridge.
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Political split
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0