Police tape down in Tumbler Ridge as Zambia remembers young victim

Zambia honours Abel

A welcome sign to Tumbler Ridge, B.C., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

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Photo: The Canadian PressPhoto: The Canadian Press

UPDATE 3:25 p.m.

On a cold grey morning, residents of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., made their way to their churches' first Sunday services since the recent shootings in the tiny community in which nine people died.

An invisible thread connected the worshippers with another community some 14,000 kilometres away, Solwezi in Zambia, where the life of one of the young victims was honoured.

Twelve-year-old Abel Mwansa Jr. was remembered in his family's former hometown for his laughter and kindness.

Friends of Abel and his family held a celebration of his life at the City of Grace Chapel, under exposed timber beams and a corrugated metal roof.

Just as mourners in Tumbler Ridge have lit candles this past week to honour the eight victims who died in Tuesday's mass shootings, the congregation in Solwezi lit candles to remember Mwansa, a boy who pastor Christopher Bwalya said earlier was "a little angel."

A social media stream of the service showed mourners remembering Abel as a kind boy, sometimes mischievous and "quite naughty," but who evoked "memories of love, memories of love, memories of kindness."

A boy about Abel's age recalled his friend as someone who "gave encouragement to everyone around him."

Head pastor Bwalya, a friend of Abel Mwansa's father who was also a pastor in the church, said in a message ahead of the service that there was "pain in both countries" of Zambia and Canada.

He said Abel Mwansa Sr. was hoping to "gather a bit of strength" to eventually return to Zambia to thank the community.

The services in Tumbler Ridge were closed to media.

ORIGINAL 6:23 a.m.

The site of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., is no longer cordoned off by police tape, but the high school where six were killed and dozens more were hurt remains closed to the public.

RCMP removed the yellow tape on Saturday that had surrounded the school since Tuesday, when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar shot and killed five students and an educator after killing her mother and a brother at the family home.

The roads leading up to the school are still barricaded and guarded by private security.

The RCMP didn't immediately respond to questions about next steps in the investigation, but Mounties have previously said forensic work at the home would be finished this weekend, while that work would continue at the school.

Autopsies on the bodies are expected to be finished this weekend, including for the shooter, who police have said killed herself.

Local churches are expected to hold their first services today since the murders, just ahead of Family Day in the province.