Grieving father remembers 12-year-old son killed in Tumbler Ridge school attack

A grieving father is sharing the depth of his loss after his 12-year-old son, Abel Mwansa Jr., was killed in Tuesday’s attack at a school in Tumbler Ridge.

“Sometimes I am smiling, sometimes I put up a joke, I laugh, but when I go down in the corner I am breaking down and crying inside of me because of the connection I had with my son,” said Abel Mwansa Sr.

12-year-old Abel Mwansa Jr., one of the victims of a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., is pictured.

The family moved to Canada from Zambia three years ago on a temporary work permit. Mwansa says Abel was known for his kindness, his ambition and the smile that rarely left his face.

“When you look at Abel, even without saying a word, he always used to smile,” he said. “Some will say he was teaching their kids how to ride a bicycle, how to skate, how to move on rollerblades. He was doing that. I want him to be remembered as a good boy.”

Abel was killed along with 12-year-old Ticaria Lampert, 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield, 39-year-old educator Shandda Aviugana Durand, 12-year-old Zoey Benoit and 12-year-old Kylie Smith.Eleven-year-old Emmett Jacobs and his mother, 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs, were found shot to death in the family’s home.

Nineteen-year-old Paige Hoekstra survived a gunshot wound to the chest and is recovering in hospital. The father of 12-year-old Maya Edmonds, who was shot in the head and remains at BC Children’s Hospital, says there are no new updates as she continues fighting for her life.

Tributes are appearing across the country, many from young people the same age as the victims.A 13-year-old on Vancouver Island posted a song dedicated to the students. A woman in Smithers placed a teddy bear on her front door. In Terrace Bay, Ont., a Grade 7 and 8 class turned a day of snow sculpting into a tribute after learning about the tragedy.

Their teacher says the idea came from the students themselves.

“When I went into the class on Thursday, the tragedy had just happened,” she said. “I asked if they wanted to continue with our original plan or create a tribute for Tumbler Ridge. They voted unanimously to do the tribute.”

As communities across Canada continue to respond in their own ways, Mwansa says he hopes people will remember his son for the joy he brought and the future he never had the chance to live.