By The Canadian Press

Advocates, experts warn against vilifying transgender people in wake of Tumbler Ridge shooting

Feb 12, 2026 | 7:27 AM

Advocates and experts are warning about the danger of vilifying an entire demographic based on the actions of one transgender person in the wake of the school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Their comments come after an independent provincial legislator in British Columbia claimed, without evidence, that the shooting rampage that left nine people dead was related to the perpetrator’s gender identity, adding to a torrent of online misinformation about transgender people.

“It is unfair, inappropriate, wrong-headed, illogical to blame an entire group of people for the actions of one or a small number,” said Aaron Devor, chair in transgender studies at the University of Victoria.

“I don’t want to downplay the idea that when it comes from people in power, it’s not just a matter of an emotional reaction. There can be real danger that comes from people in power choosing to unfairly target particular groups in society and blame them for the ills of society.”

Police have said the shooter in Tumbler Ridge was an 18-year-old female who started transitioning six years ago — which Devor said is just one detail about the teenager that is getting a disproportionate amount of attention.

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He said elected officials casting blame on trans people can be dangerous in different ways: from rising hate crimes to clawing back hard-fought human rights, something that’s been happening in the United States and — to a lesser extent — here in Canada, where Alberta has limited youth access to gender-affirming care.

In the case of the Tumbler Ridge shooting, one such post came from Tara Armstrong, an independent MLA in B.C. who has made speaking out against transgender people a pillar of her public identity, wrote on social media that there was an “epidemic of transgender violence” — a claim that is not backed up by the facts.

It added to a chorus of online comments claiming mass shooters are disproportionately transgender. In fact, the Gun Violence Archive has said less than 0.1 per cent of U.S. mass shootings between 2013 and 2025 were perpetrated by trans people, and Statistics Canada says roughly 0.3 per cent of the population is trans.

Other public figures and organizations suggesting through posts or reposts the shooter’s gender identity is notable include former Canadian cabinet minister Stockwell Day, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Russia’s state-controlled media network RT.

Celeste Trianon, a trans activist who founded the legal clinic Juritrans, said some of the social media commentary might also be coming from bots rather than individuals, or people outside of Canada, but any proliferation of anti-trans ideology is problematic.

“Ultimately it’s about sprouting their seed, making sure people have this idea that trans people are somehow inherently violent,” she said.

Fae Johnstone, executive director of Queer Momentum, says the country’s focus should be on the victims of the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, but a mass of online vitriol has compelled her to speak up for her community lest they face even more discrimination.

She said trans people, like many Canadians, are grieving after the attack.

“But then to see a tragedy weaponized like this — it’s a punch to the gut when your gut’s already been punched a few times that day,” Johnstone said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2026.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press