Nine people were killed — most of them at a local school — and more than two dozen others were injured after a gunman opened fire in the small community of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, authorities said.

The suspected shooter is also dead from what investigators believe was a self-inflicted injury, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Police said officers responded to reports of gunfire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School around 1:20 p.m. Inside the building, they found six people dead. A seventh victim died while being transported to the hospital.

Two additional victims were airlifted to hospital with serious or life-threatening injuries. Approximately 25 others were evaluated for injuries that authorities said were not believed to be life-threatening.

During the investigation, officers identified what they described as a “secondary location” connected to the shooting. Two more victims were found dead inside a nearby residence. Police said searches of additional homes and properties were ongoing to determine whether others were injured or linked to the incident.

In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the tragedy.

“I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” Carney said.

Tumbler Ridge is a remote community of roughly 2,400 residents in the Northern Rockies region of northeastern British Columbia.