Dene His School in La Louche where the shooting took place. (Wikipedia)
There’s been a shooting at Dene High School in La Louche in Saskatchewan, Canada. A 911 call came from the school at around 1 p.m. local time. According to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, there are five fatalities at the school.
This is a breaking story so stay tuned for updates.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. The Area Is Home to a Large Canadian Aboriginal Community
(Google Maps)
APTN in Canada reports that there is a massive police and ambulance response at the school. The area is home to a large Canadian aboriginal community. The chief of the Saskatchewan First Nation, Teddy Clark, told the Edmonton Journal that “La Louche is devastated.” Clark also said that two people had been killed at the school.
2. A Male Suspect Is in Custody
Desjarlais says there was a lot of screaming.. he heard six of seven shots before he got out of the school. Shooting at La Loche. @CBCAlerts
CTV reports that the incident was being treated as an active shooter and that suspect, a boy, is now in custody. One witness told CBC, “I ran outside the school. 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.”
3. Police Have Said They Are in the ‘Preliminary Stages of Investigation’
The scene outside the school in the aftermath of the shooting. (Screengrab via CBC)
The school remains on lockdown as is the nearby Ducharme Elementary School. A brief statement from Royal Canadian Mounted Police said, “We are in the preliminary stages of investigation. Further details will be provided as they become available.”
4. The School Has Only Referred to the Incident as an ‘Emergency’ on Their Facebook Page
The statement from the school. (Facebook)
A Facebook post on the school’s page refers to an emergency occurring at the school. The message read, “There is currently an emergency occurring at the Dene Building and we are asking the public to stay away while the matter is resolved by the RCMP. The elementary school is also under a lock down which will not be lifted until we hear that it is safe from the La Loche RCMP. We will not be allowing anyone in or out until we have a clear idea of what is going on.” The premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall also released a statement on Facebook saying,
Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the horrific events today in La Loche. My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community.
Thank you to the RCMP and all the emergency personnel who responded quickly to the shooting.Saskatchewan Education and Social Services will be available to provide all necessary crisis support and counselling services to the school and the community.
5. There Are 900 Students at the School
La Louche is Dene community with a population of around 3,000 people. The students at the school are bilingual, speaking English and Denesuline. On the school’s Wikipedia page it says that there 900 students at the school and 110 staff members.