(CNN)— Four people were killed and an alleged shooter
was arrested Friday after gunfire erupted at a school in a
small town in northern Saskatchewan, Chief
Superintendent Maureen Levy of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police said Friday night.
Levy said authorities received a call about 1 p.m. Friday
saying a weapon had been discharged at La Loche
Community School in La Loche. Officers went to the
school and at 1:47 p.m. arrested a suspect and seized
his weapon.
Earlier reports said five people had been killed and two
wounded.
Police were investigating at two sites, the school and a
residence in the town, Levy said. The injured were taken
to University Hospital in Saskatoon, she said.
Levy revealed few details and wouldn't give the names of
the suspect or victims, whether the shooter and victims
were students and what kind of weapon was used, saying
the integrity of the investigation had to be protected.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier addressed
the nation, saying, "Obviously this is every parent's worst
nightmare" and calling it "a terrible, tragic day."
'Run, bro, run!'
The Star Phoenix newspaper quoted a student who said
he was returning from lunch when shots were fired at the
school. He said friends ran past him urging him to get
out.
"Run, bro, run!" Noel Desjarlais-Thomas, 16, said his
friends told him as they fled. "There's a shotgun! There's
a shotgun! They were just yelling to me. And then I was
hearing those shots, too, so of course I started running."
School coordinator Norma Janvier told the Star Phoenix
she was in her office when she heard shots.
"I didn't know what was going on," she said. "I thought
the kids were just playing around or something, like a
locker slamming and stuff."
She said another teacher stopped her from leaving the
office so she waited until someone said it was safe.
"All I heard was cops running around in the school," she
said.
'A lot of people are in shock'
Clearwater River Dene Nation Chief Teddy Clark described
the shooting as devastating in an interview with The Star
Phoenix newspaper.
"Both Clearwater and La Loche, a lot of people are in
shock. This is something that you only see on TV most of
the time," Clark told the newspaper.
The school provides a prekindergarten to 12th grade
education and houses about 900 students in two
buildings, the school's Facebook page says. The town
has about 2,600 people.
Levy said a lockdown at the school was lifted after
several hours.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and emergency personnel
responded to the shooting, according to a Facebook post
by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.
"Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the
horrific events today in La Loche," he said. "My thoughts
and prayers are with all the victims, their families and
friends and all the people of the community."
Saskatchewan Education and Social Services will be
providing crisis support and counseling services to the
school and the community, the premier said.