By Dave Branco

A warning unheeded: Retired RCMP officer says training gaps may have cost lives in Tumbler Ridge

Mar 6, 2026 | 3:05 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A former RCMP officer thinks better training in firearm enforcement could have prevented the deaths in the Tumbler Ridge shooting. He says issues with how police handle firearm seizures and court deadlines could have caused guns to be returned when they should not have been. But a criminologist says this is part of a bigger problem with police training across Canada.

Chad Zummack, now retired, served 25 years in the RCMP, including six years with the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team. He helped frontline officers investigate firearms offences and understand the complex rules in the Criminal Code of Canada. Near the end of his career, he wrote a detailed 2023 report warning about gaps in firearm enforcement training and their possible impact on public safety.

Zummack explains that the Criminal Code gives police just 30 days to ask the Crown for a judge to decide if firearms should stay in police custody. He believes this process may not have worked as intended in the Tumbler Ridge case.

Zummack thinks that better training and more oversight from senior leaders could help prevent these problems and possibly stop tragedies before they happen.

On Demand

March 6, 2026: CKPG News on Demand

54m ago

New Teachers' Deal

Prince George educators happy with new deal, but point to several shortcomings

3h ago

Update

The class action following the fire at the Prince George Econo Lodge Motel has settled

3h ago

However, criminologist Dr. Temitope Oriola, a professor at the University of Alberta, says the issue is bigger than firearm policy and affects law enforcement across Canada.

Dr. Oriola notes that in some countries, police recruits must complete university degrees and years of training before joining the force.

CKPG asked the RCMP to comment on the retired officer’s report. The RCMP replied with a statement that included, in part:

“After careful review of the document, it is clear that it would be impossible to fully respond to his anecdotal information since there is insufficient detail to identify the investigations or to verify the claims, especially within the given timeline.”

​

The investigation into the Tumbler Ridge incident is ongoing, and questions remain about whether training, policy, or communication within the justice system played a role. Critics and experts say this tragedy is raising bigger questions about how Canada trains police to handle firearms and prevent future violence.