INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Four Dead In ‘Canada’s Worst High School Shooting In A Decade,’ 23-Year-Old Teacher Among The Dead

By Tara West
Published on: 06:23 PST, Jan 23, 2016

A teenage gunman entered his Canadian high school in rural Saskatchewan after killing his two younger brothers at home. The teen then opened fire on a 23-year-old teacher and a teaching assistant. Both women were killed in Canada’s “worst high school shooting in a decade.” Students at La Loche Community School say they fled the school in fear after hearing gunshots being fired in the school building.

The Daily Mail reports that four people are dead after a school shooting took place at La Loche Community School in Saskatchewan, Canada. The aboriginal community is reeling following word of the shooting in the small, close-knit area. The suspect is reportedly in police custody following the shooting and was noted as a teenage boy who attended the school where the shooting took place.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about the incident from Switzerland noting that this is “every parent’s worst nightmare” and that “the community is reeling.” Trudeau, however, also noted that the suspect was in custody at the time of his speech.

Students at the Saskatchewan school at the time of the shooting note the mass panic that took place. One 10th grade student spoke to CTV News and claims that the incident took place as he was returning from lunch. The 16-year-old student, Noel Desjarlais-Thomas, claims that as he was returning from lunch he saw people running from the high school building screaming “run, bro, run!” He says that the students exclaimed “there’s a shotgun” while fleeing the building.

“There’s a shotgun! There’s a shotgun! They were just yelling to me. And then I was hearing those shots, too, so of course I started running. There was lots of screaming, there was about six, seven shots before I got outside. I believe there was more shots by the time I did get out.”

One of those killed in the school shooting was confirmed as 23-year-old teacher Marie Janvier. The teacher’s father Kevin Janvier says Marie was his only daughter and that he was informed that his daughter was shot by a teenage gunman at the school after killing his two younger siblings at home.

The shooting allegedly began at the teen’s home where he gunned down his two younger siblings before heading to the La Loche Community School where he opened fire on teacher Marie and a teaching assistant. In addition to the four deceased, reports indicate that others were injured with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stating two people were in critical condition.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Supt. Maureen Levy has declined to offer additional information at this time about the shooter, but notes that the suspect was arrested outside of the school. Levy also opted not to provide any more information about those killed in the school shooting or those injured. However, new reports suggest that the victims were Marie Janvier of La Loche, brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine of La Loche, and Adam Wood of Uxbridge, Ont.

The Saskatchewan school shooting is being noted as the “worst high school shooting in a decade” for Canada and the community continues to mourn those lost to the tragedy. It was noted that the La Loche Community School houses approximately 900 students between the ages of 12 and 18.

[Image via Facebook/Marie Janvier]

Share this article: Four Dead In ‘Canada’s Worst High School Shooting In A Decade,’ 23-Year-Old Teacher Among The Dead
More from Inquisitr