New Delhi, Feb. 11 -- RCMP officers in Canada's British Columbia northeast were responding on Tuesday to what police described as a confirmed active shooter incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, with authorities warning residents to shelter in place as investigators worked to determine the number of victims and whether more than one suspect was involved.

According to local media, an emergency alert issued by RCMP shortly after 2 p.m. PT covered a wide area around Tumbler Ridge, including Chetwynd and Dawson Creek, as police said there were "multiple victims" and urged the public not to leave their homes.

The emergency alert, issued at 2:15 p.m. PT, initially described the suspect as a woman wearing a dress with brown hair, read a ...