FSIN calls for moment of silence to honour La Loche shooting victims
- Fraser Needham | January 28, 2016
Schools across Canada are being asked to take a moment of silence Friday January 29 in memory of victims of a shooting rampage in La Loche last week.
Four people were killed and multiple others seriously injured at the hands of a lone gunman in the remote northern Saskatchewan community of about 3,000 people.
One of the shooting locations included the local school.
Teacher Adam Wood, 35, educational assistant Marie Janvier, 21, and brothers Dayne, 17, and Drayden Fontaine, 13, were fatal victims of the shooter.
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations is spearheading the initiative and Chief Bobby Cameron says the La Loche tragedy has affected people across the country.
“Certainly this hits home for a lot of educators, for a lot of parents and grandparents and certainly the trying times, the healing and grieving process, is still continuing for these people in the north,” he says.
Cameron adds the community remains devastated by the shooting and needs as much support as possible.
“On a bigger scale that we all in unity have that moment of silence and prayer for the people because they certainly need it. The funerals are going to be taking place in the next little while so we need all the prayers that we can get to get to that healing journey.”
The FSIN is also asking schools to lower their flags to half-mast beginning at 9 a.m. and says a number of First Nations schools have already agreed to participate in the moment of silence.
Seven people were initially admitted to hospital as a result of the shooting and three have since been released.
A 17-year-old male has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in relation to the incident.
He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.