School shooting, northern Sask.

[Natalka]

Suspect 'opened fire in the building':
At least two dead, suspect in custody, after La Loche school shooting


The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation says at least two people are dead and a suspect is in custody after a daytime shooting at the community school in La Loche, a northern community approximately six hours north of Saskatoon.
“The community usually pulls together really strong in times like this. Right now, La Loche is devastated,” said Clearwater River Dene Nation Chief Teddy Clark on Friday.


Acting Mayor Kevin Janvier said RCMP confirmed to him that one person was in custody but he did not know anything about the suspect. According to The Canadian Press, the community’s fire chief said a boy with a gun was in custody. CP also reported that a government source confirmed two deaths.
According to Janvier, several people were also taken to hospital.

La Loche Community School is for pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12, and houses approximately 900 students in two buildings, according to the school’s Facebook page. According to the district, the emergency was “occurring at the Dene Building,” which is for Grades 7 to 12.

La Loche is a remote Dene community of about 3,000 people on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche in the northern boreal forest.

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime...yone-in-or-out

Such a tragedy; Prayers for the families of the victims and the people of the community.

-

[Natalka]

Five are now reported dead; suspect in custody.

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime...yone-in-or-out

[walkonby]

That is just tragic Natalka. That poor community.

[Natalka]

RCMP confirmed five deaths early in the day but at a press conference Friday night in Regina, Chief Supt. Maureen Levy said confirmed deaths at that point were at four.

On our local radio, they got a call back from the town mayor, saying his daughter was one of the victims.
RCMP aren't releasing names at this point.

[lecale]

I read that it was a boy who killed his two brothers then shot 4 more at the school, killing 2

[Natalka]

^ there's lots of info flying back and forth...

[Natalka]

Don't know how much this would have to do with anything that happened today, but this shows what a troubled community it is

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local...ther-suicide-2

[lecale]

Personally, I don't think that people should be living in these godforsaken places

[DaveP]

I've lived the majority of my life in northern communities. They are cesspools of crime, violence, abuse and utter hopelessness. I could tell stories but people would think I was making them up. I attended a lot of funerals up there.

[Natalka]

The four people killed in Friday afternoon's shooting are being identified.

Top left: Marie Janvier, 21, teaching assistant at the school
Top right: Adam Wood, 35, teacher - he had just moved from Ontario in September to start his career
Bottom: brothers Dayne, 17, and Drayden Fontaine, 14. They were killed in a residence in La Loche.



A 17-year-old boy faces four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder and one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

RCMP Supt. Grant St. Germaine announced the charges at a news conference in La Loche Saturday afternoon.

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local...s-devastated-2

[madchives]

this is obviously too sad, what the heck are kids needing to take ideas from the us
to get our attention? don't we already know?

cross country checkup, has 2 hour radio show on today, with this as the subject.
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup

it is a live call in show, 1-888-416-8333, i think is the number to call.

[madchives]

ooopppsss

[Natalka]

I didn't know about this until late, but tonight at the Sask. Teachers' Federation building in Saskatoon, teachers and students held a candlight vigil for the victims.

[MortgageQueen]

It's horrible enough to lose 1 child, but that poor family lost 2 in just a few short seconds. How heartbreaking.

[Natalka]

La Loche turns to forgiveness, healing in wake of shootings

Archbishop Murray Chatlain, in green robes and a beaded crucifix around his neck, stood before a congregation of 250 people in La Loche on Sunday with a message: Do not be angry at the teenage boy accused of killing four people in this northern community last week.

Two of the four who died were teenage brothers. Their grandparents wanted the archbishop to ask their friends and neighbours to forgive the shooter and pray for him and the victims.

“One of the traditions in this Dene community is that we have prayer intentions at the beginning of mass,” the archbishop said after the service. “The family itself offered the [prayer] intention.”



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle28363770/