Mayor: Canada School Shooter Killed Brothers First

Teacher killed at Saskatchewan school was mayor's daughter
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 23, 2016 6:11 AM CST
Mayor: Canada School Shooter Killed Brothers First
The outside of La Loche Community School is shown on Friday Jan. 22, 2016.    (Joshua Mercredi/The Canadian Press via AP)

The gunman who opened fire at a high school in La Loche, Saskatchewan yesterday killed his two brothers first, according to the remote town's acting mayor, who lost his own daughter in the shooting. "He shot two of his brothers at his home and made his way to the school," Kevin Janvier tells the AP. "I'm just so sad." He says 23-old teacher Marie Janvier, who was shot dead at La Loche Community School, was his only child. At a Friday night press conference, a police spokeswoman confirmed that the death toll is four and a male suspect is in custody, though she didn't confirm the number of wounded or the identities of the victims, the CBC reports.

Janvier tells CTV that the alleged shooter, who was arrested outside the school 45 minutes after police were called at around 1pm Friday, is under 21. The Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that according to a student, the suspect made a chilling post on social media before the shooting. "Just killed 2 ppl," he wrote. "Bout to shoot ip the school." A crisis team of tribal elders and professionals is on its way to the aboriginal community, reports the StarPhoenix, which notes that La Loche and the surrounding area has the highest suicide rate in the province, with 43.4 suicide deaths per 100,000, more than triple the Saskatchewan average. According to the National Post, Friday's incident is believed to be the worst-ever shooting at a high school in Canada. (More Canada stories.)

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