Latest news with #NeelinHighSchool
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
More bloodshed intended in Brandon high school sword attack: police
A 16-year-old boy accused of attacking and seriously injuring another student with a sword at Neelin High School in Brandon, Man., intended to hurt more people, but was stopped by the swift action of school staff and officers, police say. Community members have left chalk messages of support for students and staff on the sidewalks outside the school.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Teen accused in Brandon high school sword attack planned to hurt others, police chief says
The 16-year-old accused of seriously assaulting another student with a sword at a Brandon high school Tuesday was planning to attack more victims, police say. Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates released new details Wednesday morning of the sword attack at Neelin High School. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, Bates told a news conference. TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates said today that police don't yet know where the teen got the sword or whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 'It's clear that the suspect had malicious intentions and our officers' intervention on this day prevented further bloodshed,' said Bates. 'We know that certainly the harms that were intended were beyond the individual victim involved.' The 15-year-old victim remains in stable condition in hospital with stab wounds to his chest, thighs, forearms and hands. The accused teen, who is in custody, is facing charges of attempted murder, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and disguise with intent. The disguise with intent charge suggests the teen tried to conceal his identity, but Bates said he could not reveal those details. The 16-year-old appeared in a Brandon courtroom Wednesday morning. Bates said police don't yet know where the teen got the sword or whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 'Clearly the actions are deranged,' he said in response to a question about whether mental illness is suspected as a factor. 'In terms of the medical situation involving the youth involved, that will be something that will be further assessed. We need to understand and know why and dissect what contributed to this so we can prevent future incidents of this nature.' Brandon police responded to a call from a Neelin student who said, 'a male is going crazy and holding a sword' at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday. The response was led by a BPS school resource officer, who got to the school within three minutes, Bates said Wednesday. Officers found the teen several minutes later and used a Taser electroshock weapon during the arrest, while other police gave the victim emergency first aid. 'Their heroic actions directly prevented further harm,' Bates said. School officials took immediate emergency action to protect students. 'Were it not for those lockdown procedures and the safe securing of the students that were in harm's way, (and) the staff that were in harm's way, for that matter, we would be having a very different discussion today,' the police chief said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The school resource officer had no prior interactions with the student accused in the attack, said Bates, adding police are thinking of the young victim and his family as 'he recovers from this senseless act of violence.' 'A school should always be a place of safety, a place to learn, grow and thrive,' he said. Mathew Gustafson, superintendent of the Brandon School Division, said he's concerned for the well being of students, their families and staff at the high school after the attack. 'We have a crisis response team in place, but our support will not only be for today, but will be ongoing into the future,' said Gustafson. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Student charged with attempted murder in sword attack at Brandon school: police
Messages of support are written on the sidewalk outside Neelin High School in Brandon, Man. on June 11, 2025. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg) A 15-year-old boy who was seriousy injured in a sword attack at a Brandon high school is in stable condition, as another student faces an attempted murder charge. The Brandon Police Service provided an update on the violent incident that unfolded Tuesday afternoon at Neelin High School, calling it a senseless act of violence. Brandon Police Chief Tyler Bates said a student initially alerted the school's resource officer about the attack, and police arrived minutes later to find a 16-year-old student wielding a sword. He was hit with a Taser and arrested. A 15-year-old student was found with stab wounds to his chest, forearms, hands, and thighs, police said. He was given immediate medical attention and is now in stable condition. Bates said the actions of the responding officers showed exceptional bravery. 'These officers' actions were nothing short of courageous and averted what could have been a far more tragic outcome,' he said. Brandon Police Chief Tyler Bates Brandon Police Chief Tyler Bates speaks at a June 11, 2025 news conference at the service's headquarters. (Brandon Police Service) The incident sent the school into lock-down. The suspect has since been charged with attempted murder, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and disguise with intent. The accused had a scheduled remand hearing Wednesday morning. Bates said the suspect and victim were both students at the school, and the suspect had no known prior dealings with police. Investigators are still working to discover what motivated the attack. 'Certainly, he was not on the radar as someone who presented risk of imminent harm and tragedy, so that is something that I can comment on, but I don't have definitive specifics on a criminal history.' Crisis response team brought in to support students, staff Brandon School Division Superintendent Mathew Gustafson said the attack will have a ripple impact through all of its schools. A crisis response team has been brought in to offer support to students and staff in the coming days and weeks. 'Our focus at this point is the support of the student, his family and the Neelin family of students and staff, as well as our Brandon School Division community as a whole.' - With files from CTV's Daniel Halmarson
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
More victims and bloodshed were intended in sword attack at Brandon high school, police say
A 16-year-old boy who used a sword to seriously injure another student at Brandon's Neelin High School had plans for more victims but was stopped by the swift actions of officials and officers, the western Manitoba city's police chief says. A 15-year-old boy is in stable condition in hospital, recovering from stab wounds to the chest, forearms, hands and thigh, police have said. "We know that certainly the harms that were intended were beyond the individual victim involved," Chief Tyler Bates said at a news conference on Wednesday. "We do believe that those intentions were interrupted — that the response of our officers prevented further bloodshed." Bates wouldn't go into further details about what exactly happened Tuesday afternoon. "The finer details will come to light in due course," he said. The attacker and the victim are both students at the school and knew one another, he said. The motivation behind the attack, though, is still under investigation, Bates said. Police were called at 1:15 p.m. and by 1:22 p.m. the 16-year-old was in custody. Officers used a Taser to subdue and disarm him. "In the face of mortal danger, our Brandon Police Service officers demonstrated exceptional bravery, professionalism and restraint. They ran towards the threat, risking their own safety with both composure and care," Bates said. That composure resulted in the outcome being far less tragic than it could have been if officers chose instead to use their firearms, he said. "Use-of-force situations are dynamic, they're chaotic, and they require split-second decision-making under immense stress." Officers were responding to what they were told was someone armed with a sword and "going crazy," Bates said. It was an incident involving someone not only presenting a lethal threat, but who had already attempted to take someone's life, he said. "The presence of mind of our officers … in this particular situation to incapacitate the offender is really quite remarkable." The 16-year-old faces charges of attempted murder, uttering threats, possession of a weapon and wearing a disguise. Bates doesn't know if the teen had any prior dealings with police. The school resource officer, who is well-acquainted with the students, did not have prior dealings with him, he said. No information was given about the disguise or whether police believe the teen was under the influence of anything at the time. "At this juncture of the investigation, there's no indication that we're talking about altered states or a situation where drugs were specifically involved," he said. As for mental health concerns, "clearly the actions are deranged." Bates asked for patience and understanding as witness interviews are ongoing and details continue to emerge. "We understand the deep emotional toll that this event has taken on the entire school community. Traumatic events like this affect everybody and have a ripple effect — students, families, teachers, the broader public, emergency responders," he said. "There's much recovery that needs to take place in the aftermath of this tragedy. A school should always be a place of safety, a place to learn, grow and thrive. Tragically, yesterday, one of our schools … became a scene of trauma and danger." He urged anyone struggling in the wake of the incident to reach out to mental health resources at the school or health-care providers and other organizations within the community. School-police relationship lauded The school was immediately put into lockdown when school staff realized what was happening. That was lifted once the attacker was custody. "The actions taken were not by chance on this day, but the result of preparation, care and a commitment to student safety," Bates said, praising school staff and officers. "On this day we were prepared. The response was seamless and it's because of that practice and relationship that has been pre-established and built with Brandon School Division." School resource officers get ARTO (assessment of risk to others) and VTRA (violence threat risk assessment) training from the police service. That training and relationship "speaks to the recognition of potential harm and risk in that environment," Bates said. "How we're presently responsive to that is something that is always under discussion — should we be looking at how we can mitigate risks and events such as this? How do we make the schools as safe as they can possibly be?" That has resulted in the specialized training now in place and the presence of school resource officers. "I think we would be remiss if we didn't continually look at other potential enhancements to school safety," Bates said.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Teen injured in sword attack at Brandon high school
BRANDON — A 16-year-old male was taken into custody in relation to a sword attack at Neelin High School Tuesday afternoon that prompted a lockdown of the building. A 15-year-old male student was rushed to the Brandon Regional Health Centre in serious condition after suffering injuries to his chest, forearms, hands and thighs, police said. He was later upgraded to stable condition. Brandon Police Service Insp. Jason Dupuis said the victim's 'injuries were significant and serious.' Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Brandon Police Service vehicles sit in front of École Secondaire Neelin High School on Tuesday after Brandon Police responded to an incident at the school after a student was allegedly seriously injured with a sword. The school was placed into a lockdown and students were released to the custody of parents of parents, relatives and guardians. Dupuis told a news conference police responded to a call from a Neelin student who said, 'a male is going crazy and holding a sword' at 1:15 p.m. Police arrived at the school within minutes later and found the suspect at 1:22 p.m., Dupuis said. Officers used a Taser on him during the arrest. Police Chief Tyler Bates said police didn't believe there were any other victims. A post by the Brandon School Division Tuesday afternoon noted that the lockdown had been implemented 'due to an intruder in the building with a weapon.' BPS officers and cadets stood at the entrances surrounding the school when the Sun arrived before 3 p.m., and parents were lined up outside the gymnasium to pick up their children, with many students walking out of the school holding hands with their parents, giving them hugs and crying. 'I saw him chasing one of our students with a sword, then I ran to class,' said Fathia, who didn't want to give her last name. 'I was just scared, that's all,' she said through tears while standing next to her mom, who had picked her up from the school. Another student described what happened after the attack started. 'All I know is all of a sudden, doors were slamming and we got told to sit in the corner and our teacher directed us to turn the lights off, sit in the corner and pretty much be quiet,' said Jordan-Blayne Bjornsson. 'We were definitely all scared, 'cause we didn't know exactly what was happening,' the Grade 12 student said. 'None of us felt very good and I know there were a lot of people crying.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. She said police escorted students to the gymnasium after a while. 'People were panicked, people were sad,' said Bjornsson. 'I think a lot of people were just scared and they didn't know what happened. Police didn't say whether the victim and suspect knew each other. More information would be released Wednesday, he said. 'Our investigators will be hard at work throughout the night,' said Bates. 'We really wanted to get out and at least provide some information to citizens of Brandon, to alleviate angst and concern they would understandably have.' — Brandon Sun
