Shootings at Dawson College

John McGillivray · #1 13-09-06, 22:04

I just got home. I had to leave work early and pick up my 17 year old daughter. She is a first year student at Dawson Collage in Montreal where there was another mass shooting. She was in class when she heard the shootings and she saw one person shot in the head laying on the ground and another girl holding her stomach. When I was driving home I could see that my daughter was shaking.

#2 13-09-06, 22:11

Quote:

Originally posted by John McGillivray
I just got home. I had to leave work early and pick up my 17 year old daughter. She is a first year student at Dawson Collage in Montreal where there was another mass shooting. She was in class when she heard the shootings and she saw one person shot in the head laying on the ground and another girl holding her stomach. When I was driving home I could see that my daughter was shaking.

Thank God your daughter is safe John. I've been watching the news, horrified, and wondering if anyone in here had kids or friends there today, and hoping not. It's horrible for the kids and families, and I'm praying for those 6 kids critical, 4 serious, (at this point) at hospital

At this point, it sounds like only one shooter gone crazy shooting at everyone and everything in site, but that shooter is now dead.

Again, thank God your daughter is safe! What horrible things she's seen and she must be a mess right now

Karmen

Pedr · #3 13-09-06, 23:36

Just heard about this on our 7am news.

Glad to hear that your daughters ok John.

News is reporting 2 dead, 16 injured and gunman dead.

Hope no other MLU'ers families are hurt.

Pedr

#4 13-09-06, 23:44

It's still looking pretty confused and is still being dealt with so all the facts not in. I've been watching CTV ongoing coverage. It's sounding like only one guy was a shooter, so far as things look right now. But you know the news and how it changes it's reports as they go while everything is still unfolding

K.

Tony Smith · #5 14-09-06, 00:02

Well, what changes need to be made to your Gun Laws as a result of this shooting? It's plainly obvious that your criminal penalties for lawbreakers are sufficient, and equally obvious that your mental health screening is working well, so the government needs to come down hard on any gun owner it can find. Naturally, any person who could carry a firearm into a college could also be a terrorist, so there needs to be a massive knee-jerk reaction along those lines, too.

Quote: "Canada's worst mass shooting also happened in Montreal. Gunman Marc Lepine killed 14 women at the Ecole Polytechnic on Dec. 6, 1989, before shooting himself.

That shooting spurred efforts for tighter gun laws and greater awareness of societal violence _ particularly domestic abuse. Canada's tighter gun law was achieved mainly as the results of efforts by survivors and relatives of the victims."

Today's shooting was a dreadful incident and my heart goes out to anyone affected by it. It is a needless loss of life, at a time and place where many are preparing their lives for their future. This will naturally stir the event into an emotional circus. However, I hope it doesn't become a witchhunt for hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens. Lawmaking needs to be done with a clear head and not in the heat of the moment driven by victims.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #6 14-09-06, 00:11

They're saying no dead (except the loonie) but 20 wounded, some critical.

I too am glad your daughter got out OK, John; it's a hell of a thing for a kid to have to endure, though.

John McGillivray · #7 14-09-06, 02:58

The latest news is that one female student has died of her wounds.

My daughter was in her calculus class when the shooting started. Her classroom was on the fourth floor on the south side of the collage, with the windows over looking Rue de Maisonneuve. The shootings started outside on the street just below her class. When they heard the first shoots, one student looked outside and yelled “Someone was shot”. All of the students rushed to the windows and saw one male down on the ground with a blood around his head and neck. There also was a girl bent over holding her stomach. At this point the teacher locked the doors and turned off the lights and got all of the students down and under their desks. About a half hour later the police led them out through a side door. When my daughter finally got hold on me on the phone she was already away from the school and safe. It was only a matter of finding some point where I could pick her up and take her home. Needless to say we were both very upset.

On the local CTV coverage they showed the calculus class, including my daughter, as they were running away from the school and passing under the police tape.

Thank you for your wishes.

alleramilitaria · #8 14-09-06, 03:42

the news screwed this one up...
1 shooter in cammo w long gun.
1 shooter in trench coat w machine gun
1 shooter (goth) with pistol
1 shooter with mowhawk with shotgun
1 shooter in cammo with shotgun
total up to 5 shooters.... NOT

i know its hard to get good news sometimes. but do they have to interview EVERYONE who just wants to get on camra????

i wish they would slow down and get the proper info out.

John McGillivray · #9 14-09-06, 04:19

Quote:

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
the news screwed this one up...
1 shooter in cammo w long gun.
1 shooter in trench coat w machine gun
1 shooter (goth) with pistol
1 shooter with mowhawk with shotgun
1 shooter in cammo with shotgun
total up to 5 shooters.... NOT

i know its hard to get good news sometimes. but do they have to interview EVERYONE who just wants to get on camra????

i wish they would slow down and get the proper info out.

This just shows how unreliable most eye witness accounts are.

As for the news coverage, the most important thing is to be the first to get the news on the air. Getting it right doesn’t seem to matter very much. Also they have to fill the air time with something that will keep viewers watching.

rob love · #10 14-09-06, 05:09

Quote:

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
the news screwed this one up...
1 shooter in cammo w long gun.
1 shooter in trench coat w machine gun
1 shooter (goth) with pistol
1 shooter with mowhawk with shotgun
1 shooter in cammo with shotgun
total up to 5 shooters.... NOT

ut.

They actually got it mostly right. One shooter (and only one) in black clothing (trenchcoat and blackboots and "retarded" mohawk hairdo), and three firearms; a shotgun, a (likely semi)automatic rifle, and a third firearm of some type, possibly pistol.

Too bad about the girl dying, and the trauma these youngsters and teachers will now have to live with.
Somehow, the politicians and gun grabbers will feed on the misery af this event and demand more gun control, rather than admit the failure of the 2 billion $ sham they implemented after the last major shooting in 89.

Ian Pullen · #11 14-09-06, 08:19

John, it's a relief to hear your daughter is unharmed. I heard it on the 0730 news here. Although there are no physical injuries, I hope the psychological ones heal quickly.

CHEERS IAN

Max Hedges · #12 14-09-06, 11:22

It' a sad state of affairs when these sort of things happen, especially to our childeren.Why people have to resort to these sensless attacks is beyond us.
Geoff summed it up ...it's a hell of a thing for a child to have to endure,and we are also glad that your daughter is OK

Max and Kathy

Hanno Spoelstra · #13 14-09-06, 13:33

John,

Heard about the shooting on the news here in Holland, too. It must have scared the hell out of your daughter and your family. Hope she regains confidence soon and goes back to school.

Regards,
Hanno

P.S.: I'm not an old guy but sometimes I wonder in what sort of world we are living. We have just been hit by the news about a seven(!) year old boy sexually abusing two girls of the same age repeatedly. And they are sending the boy and girls back to the same school

sapper740 · #14 14-09-06, 17:27

Quote:

Originally posted by John McGillivray
I just got home. I had to leave work early and pick up my 17 year old daughter. She is a first year student at Dawson Collage in Montreal where there was another mass shooting. She was in class when she heard the shootings and she saw one person shot in the head laying on the ground and another girl holding her stomach. When I was driving home I could see that my daughter was shaking.

Glad to hear your daughter is fine John. I have three daughters myself so I know the anguish you must have felt at the first news of this tragic event. I sincerely hope she recovers quickly from any trauma and returns to her normal life. I'm working afternoon shifts these days so I caught the event live on our local channel. I hadn't heard the final toll until logging on to MLU just now. I join with the others in wishing the best for your daughter and hope the few level heads in the government restrain the rest from enacting knee-jerk legislation a la Marc Lepine, may he burn in Hell forever!

Garry Shipton (RIP) · #15 14-09-06, 22:56

I've got one girl at Concordia university down de Maisonneuve Blvd from Dawson and the younger one at Champlain College.What scares me is copycat acts that generally follow these despicable murderers.

John McGillivray · #16 20-06-08, 23:39

Last night the convocations were held for the graduates of Dawson College. It was 21 months ago that the shooting took place at the school. In attendance was the family of Anastasia De Sousa, the girl who lost her life on that September day. There were also a number of students who were wounded present.

My daughter has completed her two year pre-university program with First Class Honours. This coming September it is on to McGill University were she will be starting a BSc in Mathematics.

lynx42 · #17 21-06-08, 01:09

John,
How great is it, that your daughter has been able to put it behind her and move on. First Degree Honours are fantastic. Please congratulate her from myself and the others from MLU.
Rick

John McGillivray · #18 13-09-16, 00:27

Tomorrow (13 Sept.) will be ten years since the shootings at Dawson Collage. Last month my daughter completed all requirements for her PhD in mathematics at McGill. She is now in Florida where she will do post-doctoral research at the University of Florida.