The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has been helping those impacted by a deadly school shooting that's left 25 injured and 10 dead.
Police say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who had suffered mental health problems, killed her mother and stepbrother on Tuesday before shooting a teacher and five young students at the local school.
Van Rootselaar, who police say was born a male but began identifying as a woman six years ago, then died by suicide.
The shooting took place at a secondary school in remote Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia and has been described as one of Canada’s worst cases of gun-inflicted violence.
The Billy Graham Response Team quickly deployed chaplains to the location, whose role it is to “minister and share the hope of Jesus Christ”, by offering emotional and spiritual aid to those affected by conflict and tragedy.
The tragedy is said to have deeply shaken the small community, which is located in a rural setting and consists of a population of around 2,400.
VIce president of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, Josh Holland, expressed his condolences and grief over the attack, stating that the attack had sent “shockwaves of horror and grief” globally.
Referring to the organisation’s response team, he stated that it was their intention to carry “the hope of Jesus Christ” the grieving community of Tumbler Ridge.
“The Bible reminds us that the Lord offers compassion and comfort”, he stated. “That is the message our crisis-trained chaplains carry”.
Across Tumbler Ridge, flowers and stuffed animals could be seen at unofficial public memorials.
"Hold your kids tight, tell them you love them every day. You never know," a tearful Lance Young, father of 12-year-old victim Kylie Smith, told reporters on Wednesday.
Police, who say they still do not have a motive, held a meeting with provincial officials late on Wednesday.
"They are working very hard - they recognize the public does need to hear information to fill that vacuum," local provincial legislator Larry Neufeld told CBC News on Thursday.
Police said they had visited Van Rootselaar's house on several occasions to address mental health issues and had twice taken her away for formal assessments. British Columbia premier David Eby said on Wednesday he had reached out to local health officials to ask for more details of the interactions.
At one point police seized guns from the house but returned them after the owner - who they did not identify - successfully appealed the decision.
British Columbia on Thursday observed an official day of mourning. Provincial lieutenant-governor Wendy Cocchia, the personal representative of King Charles, Canada's head of state, is due to give a speech in the legislature honoring the victims.
(Additional reporting by Reuters)