News & Politics - Shots fired in Montreal college

**sunnykerr** · 09-13-2006, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Shots fired at Dawson College in Montreal
Updated Wed. Sep. 13 2006 1:52 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

There are reports that shots have been fired at a downtown Montreal college, and between two and six people have been shot.

CTV's Jed Kahane, reporting from Montreal, said only preliminary reports have been released, and police received a call about the shooting at just before 1 p.m. ET.

Kahane said reports coming in over the police scanner say shots are still being fired and there may be as many as four gunmen involved. Dawson College is located at the corner of Atwater and Sherbrooke in the heart of downtown Montreal.

"I'm just hearing a witness now speaking saying that she was in the college and she saw someone coming down the stairwell with a gun," Kahane told CTV Newsnet.

"They ran back into their classroom and closed the door. The person was apparently chasing someone, and they heard, in her words, at least 20 shots fired, and they stayed inside their classroom until they felt they could get out safely."

A number of officers surrounded the school with guns drawn, while others helped to evacuate students who are still hiding inside the English-language CEGEP school which houses about 10,000 students.

One student told radio station 940 News she saw two people who had been shot, including one who had been hit in the neck.

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The student said a friend told her four people had been shot.

"According to the police one suspect has been neutralized, although we don't know what that means," Kahane said.

Images captured from a helicopter hovering over the scene showed hordes of students running frantically from the building.

"Many people are crying as they are coming out, worried about who might still be inside the building and shocked by what happened," said CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin, reporting from the scene.

A number of police vehicles surrounded what appeared to be a bloodsoaked sidewalk outside the school, and several yellow ambulance vehicles were seen speeding from the scene after victims were carried from the building on stretchers and loaded in the vehicles.

There were early, unconfirmed reports that the gunman was a 20-year-old male, Kahane said.

All classes at Dawson College have been cancelled.

More to come...

This is from ctv.ca.

I hope everyone from the FF community, and the people they might know who attend Dawson College, are alright.

Man, what is this world coming to? Not that it is ever not shocking when guns and schools appear in the same news bulletin. But this is Canada. I mean no offense to anyone from any other region of the world, but we have laws against hand guns.

**Lost in Translation** · 09-13-2006, 11:00 AM

Oh God, I still am shaken .It's just horrible.

**sunnykerr** · 09-13-2006, 11:07 AM

I can hear the sirens from my office. I'm on the 9th floor...

After the Polytechnique in 1989, this wasn't supposed to happen anymore. That's why they made the stricter gun laws...

How are you Janet? Do you go to Dawson? Do you know people who do?

ETA: Alexis-Nihon Mall (adjacent to the college) is being evacuated as well.

**Lost in Translation** · 09-13-2006, 11:26 AM

I went to dawson, so I don't know the current students but I do know some of the teachers.

How are you?

eta: I've heard it's being compared to Columbine. All I know is I gave my mom a hug.

RDI is reporting 4 deaths an 16 injuriews

**sunnykerr** · 09-13-2006, 11:47 AM

I wouldn't even know where to begin to express how I am. We were in the boardroom earlier, watching the news. They're now saying four people are dead, 16 injured. They're saying the shooters didn't have to reload so those were probably semi-automatic weapons... in Montreal! I thought only bikers had weapons like that, and they only shoot each other (mostly anyway).

I wasn't living in Montreal when the Polytechnique shootings happened. So this feels tremendously wrong, as in "going against nature." I went to a rough high school, and not that long ago. But people fought with knives there. That's it!

They've shut down the green line, says CTV, so I don't know how I'm going to get anywhere. I work downtown. That's my line.

I called my mum and dad. I don't trust their knowledge of downtown Montreal geography. A couple of years ago, when there was that riot at Concordia because of the whole Benjamin Netenyahu thing, my entire family called to make sure I was alright, even though I was working a 12-hour shift in NDG that day. So, yeah, I just thought I'd let them know ahead of time that I'm alright. Because I'm not going to be home tonight. Tonight's my first class back at Concordia (as an independent student). I don't know if I'm hoping that it doesn't get cancelled or that it does get cancelled.

What a world!

**Lost in Translation** · 09-13-2006, 11:57 AM

cjad is reporting different numbers. It's a good thing you called your parents.

elisheva · 09-13-2006, 12:27 PM

This CBC article keeps getting updatd every 20-30 minutes or so.

My sister just got home; she goes to school there. I graduated a year ago, my boyfriend graduated last spring..almost everyone I know has gone to school there. It's so scary and so unexpected at Dawson.

**sunnykerr** · 09-13-2006, 12:29 PM

It keeps changing. They say a gunman is still inside the school. They say a gunman may have escaped (hence evacuating Alexis Nihon shopping centre). My mum keeps calling me to update me on the changing numbers. They say someone was shot in the neck. They say one gunman took his life and another was killed by the cops. I can't wrap my brain around that. Since when do people go down in a hail of bullets?

All I know is my class isn't cancelling. Though, come to think of it, the professor's Irish. He's seen worse than this.

ETA-

elisheva, I'm glad to hear your sister's alright.

I just found out why I can't get a hold of a good friend of mind who graduated a few years back from there: Cellphones are whack because everyone's trying to call everyone else.

I also just learned that Dawson is the largest CEGEP in Quebec. And some people are, apparently (according to CTV.ca) still barricated in classrooms.

AlexEvans · 09-13-2006, 12:49 PM

I'm glad you and your sister are alright, Elisheva. And you, sunnykerr.

Maggie aka Sarah · 09-13-2006, 12:49 PM

This is very very scary!!!

My boss's daughter called at about 1pm to say that she was locked in a classroom!!! Hopefully she is out by now!

I live right by there! Atwater is the metro stop that I get off at. Will have to take the orange line and walk.

Also my ex-boyfriend works at Dawson.

Very scary! I remember the Polytechnique... and the shootings at Concordia.

Maggie

**Lost in Translation** · 09-13-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elisheva (View Post)

This CBC article keeps getting updatd every 20-30 minutes or so.

My sister just got home; she goes to school there. I graduated a year ago, my boyfriend graduated last spring..almost everyone I know has gone to school there. It's so scary and so unexpected at Dawson.

I know. I remember feeling safe there because it was so big.

elisheva · 09-13-2006, 01:00 PM

There are still students and teachers barricaded in classrooms. The metro line is down, the buildings near by are evacuated and the block is cordoned off.

I'm glad everyone here is okay..

CBC has a related story up here.

Brunette-beats-all-sucka · 09-13-2006, 02:16 PM

This College is so close to me. I was so close to going there.. two of my friends go to that place and have called to tell me they are alright. I am so shocked and scared that this could have happened to close.. I go to a very similar Cegep so this is a very scary day for us.

**sum1** · 09-13-2006, 02:30 PM

I know somebody who used to go to Dawson. This is very shocking. Why were they shooting?

**Lost in Translation** · 09-13-2006, 03:20 PM

I don't think we'll ever know


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