A student was hospitalized in critical condition Thursday after a shooting outside a northwest Toronto high school, police and the school board say.
Toronto Police Department investigators say the victim was found just after noon at the Weston Collegiate Institute near Pine Street and MacDonald Avenue. Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesman Ryan Bird said the victim was a 15-year-old 10th-grade student at the school.
Speaking to reporters outside the school, Insp. Ryan Forde said “unknown men” pulled into the school parking lot and shot the victim in the upper chest.
“After he was shot, he ran back to school … where he was nursed by the school’s teachers and faculty,” Forde said.
Emergency services were called and the victim was taken to hospital in critical condition. Forde said his injuries appeared to be life-threatening. Nobody else was hurt.
The suspects fled in an unknown direction, Forde said. The police have not yet received any suspects or vehicle descriptions. It was unclear whether the victim knew his attackers, he said.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that it was a targeted shooting at this point,” Forde said.
Investigators are asking anyone in the area with security camera video to contact the police or Crime Stopper.
“Obviously we’re thinking of the student who was injured today,” Bird said. TDSB previously said on Twitter that the victim’s parents had been notified.
“Some of our staff jumped in right away and honestly took care of the student who was very obviously injured and tried to keep him as comfortable as possible until paramedics could arrive,” Bird said.
Earlier in the day, the school board said the school was on lockdown. Bird said Thursday afternoon that lockdown was slowly being lifted and students would be sent to area elementary schools for the remainder of the day.
“We make sure that support comes now to speak to students if they need support,” he said.
Friday is a professional activity day for the Toronto District School Board, so students at the school will not be in class.
“Run, Don’t Look Back”
College student Leyah Brissett said she was outside with friends when the lunchtime shooting took place and her immediate reaction was, “Run, don’t look back.”
“There was a big bang and a lot of people were screaming,” said the 14-year-old, adding that the shooting left her fearing for her safety.
“It was loud.”
“People were crying and running to the bus stops … Really and truly, no one knew where it came from,” she said.
Jennifer and Wayne Bonner told CBC News they rushed to school Thursday afternoon to make sure their children were okay.
“As stepmothers and fathers, we are scared to death. We worry. We just want them to come out and see if they’re okay,” Bonner said through tears.
“[We] I just want them to come home and be safe.”
Victim of shooting found at Weston Collegiate Institute near Pine Street and MacDonald Avenue
