Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor cleared to return home following surgery

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — A survivor of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge has been cleared by doctors to return home following surgery in Vancouver.

Paige Hoekstra was injured in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on February 10th. The shooting left more than two dozen others injured and nine dead, including the shooter.

In an update posted to GoFundMe on February 16th, Paige’s family shared encouraging news after what they described as a series of post-surgery tests and scans.

“The doctors have run a series of post-surgery tests/scans over the last couple days, and they are now confident that it is safe for us to bring Paige home,” the family wrote.

The update said they are now working through the logistics of bringing Paige back to Tumbler Ridge to reunite with the rest of the family and continue her recovery at home.

“Our family is so incredibly lucky to be able to share this little bit of good news with everyone who was worried for Paige,” the update reads. 

“We can’t begin to express how grateful we are for everyone who offered [and] provided support for our family in the aftermath of this devastating tragedy.”

The family concluded their update by saying other affected families can reach out to them for support.

According to the GoFundMe launched on February 11th by Paige’s older brother, Nicholas Hoekstra, she was one of three individuals airlifted to a hospital in Vancouver after being shot in Tumbler Ridge on February 10th.

As of February 17th, the fundraiser for Paige’s family has raised $60,766 to help cover travel and medical expenses.