Zambia Mourns 12-Year-Old Killed in Canadian School Shooting

A young Zambian boy is among those who lost their lives in one of Canada’s deadliest school shootings in recent memory.

Abel Mwansa Junior, aged just 12, was one of eight victims fatally shot during an attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia. A number of other individuals sustained injuries in the incident.

The Zambian Government has reacted with deep sadness to news of the boy’s death. Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mulambo Haimbe, in a statement released through ZNBC, said the nation was devastated by the loss and stood with the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time.

Minister Haimbe extended heartfelt condolences to Abel’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abel Mwansa, as well as the wider family and the Zambian diaspora community. He condemned the attack as a mindless and inexcusable act of brutality.

Zambia also voiced its support for the Canadian Government and the residents of Tumbler Ridge as the community comes to terms with the devastating loss of innocent lives, many of them children.

According to BBC reports, the suspected gunman has been identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. He was discovered dead at the scene, having apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.