A 15-year-old male student is in critical condition following a shooting at a west-end high school Thursday afternoon, Toronto police say.
Around noon, a Grade 10 student at Weston Collegiate Institute went outside to the school’s parking lot during lunch when he was approached by a vehicle.
A suspect or suspects in the car then opened fire and shot the student in the chest, police said.
The boy ran back into the school and was tended to by teachers, and was soon rushed to a local hospital.
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesperson Ryan Bird said teachers tried to keep him as comfortable as possible while first responders were rushing to the scene.
“After something like this happens, that’s going to be tremendously difficult,” Bird told media during a news conference outside the school. “So we’ll obviously make sure that we’re providing support not only for the staff directly impacted following the injury, but also to students and staff elsewhere in the school.”
The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction. A description of the suspect(s) and vehicle is not yet available.
Police are not yet sure if this shooting was targeted.
The school was placed on lockdown and students were taken to two elementary schools nearby, Bird said.
“I think everyone in the office right now and in the school was just going ahead and doing everything they can to keep as great a sense of normalcy as a day like this can possibly provide,” Bird said.
C. R. Marchant Middle School, a nearby institution, was also placed on a lockdown around 1 p.m.
Shortly before 2:30 p.m., police said the lockdown is “slowly being lifted.”
Friday is a PA day for TDSB schools.
Anyone with information or surveillance video of the area is being urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
