# School Shooting in Saskatchewan: 4 dead \[Update\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2016, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962 "2016-01-23T10:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/21 "2016-01-25T15:53:16Z")
Has he given a motive? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/22 "2016-01-26T01:52:21Z")
I haven’t seen a report of anything from him. There is a report floating around that he posted something on Facebook or some other social media site, but it’s been a second or third hand report, as far as I can tell. At his first appearance today, he kept his head down and just said a few words in answer to a question from the judge about understanding the court process. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/23 "2016-01-26T01:54:38Z")
We’re getting together this Friday evening in Thunder Bay to celebrate Adam’s life. > [@](#): > > As many of you may know, Adam Wood, a 2012 graduate from Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism, and Education programs at Lakehead University and active contributor/member to the Northshore Telemark Ski School, was a victim of last Friday’s school shooting in La Loche, Saskatchewan. In memory of Adam, his passionate engagement with many organizations/initiatives in Thunder Bay, and his love of the outdoors, NTSS would like to invite you all to free your heel in memory of Adam this Friday night. We look forward to welcoming the NTSS family as we support those who grieve Adam’s loss and remember the caring and compassionate energy that Adam brought to those who were fortunate enough to know him. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/24 "2016-01-26T02:01:18Z")
Spoons, any idea as to how the present restrictions on publication of information under the Youth Criminal Justice Act these days will affect what information goes public? I haven’t done anything in that area since the shortly after it replaced the Young Offenders Act (and I lost gloriously trying to pry out some info). ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/25 "2016-01-26T04:01:18Z")
The [Star Phoenix has reported](http://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime/la-loche-struggles-with-why) on classmates suggesting that bullying of the suspect was a factor. Whether this is correct or not is hard to judge. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/26 "2016-01-26T13:32:48Z")
Couple of further articles touching on observations by fellow students: [http://www.news1130.com/2016/01/25/suspect-in-saskatchewan-shooting-teased-called-himself-black-sheep-friends/](http://www.news1130.com/2016/01/25/suspect-in-saskatchewan-shooting-teased-called-himself-black-sheep-friends/) > **[Suspect in La Loche shooting was bullied, a loner, says source close to accused](https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/25/suspect-in-la-loche-shooting-was-bullied-a-loner-says-source-close-to-accused.html)** > > Charged with four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder 17-year-old kept to himself, source says. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/27 "2016-01-27T04:29:59Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Sometimes life is very, very unfair. Unfair for the family and friends in their loss, who move on with part of their lives missing to a greater or lesser degree. Even unfair for the murderer who grew up in a northern aboriginal community amid the challenges that often go along with that. But most of all, incomprehensibly and brutally unfair for the victims, with their lives cut short: good people with good lives, making the world around them a better place, ended in moments of horror. > > Thank you, Adam, for what you brought to us in the Northshore Telemark Ski School. I am so very sorry that your life was stolen from you. **Muffin** , I’ve always admired your skill as a writer. This post is just another example of why. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/28 "2016-01-27T04:31:29Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Spoons, any idea as to how the present restrictions on publication of information under the Youth Criminal Justice Act these days will affect what information goes public? I haven’t done anything in that area since the shortly after it replaced the Young Offenders Act (and I lost gloriously trying to pry out some info). **Muffin** , sorry I missed this earlier. As far as I can tell, officially, everybody is playing by the rules: the accused is not being identified publicly in the media. I see no reason for this to change as things move forward. The basic facts are already known, and the deceased have been identified. In other words, what needs to be known by the public right now is known by the public. This could, of course, change; see YCJA s. 110, and note especially subsections (2) and (3). I’d call this a violent offense, but it is unknown at this point if the accused will receive an adult sentence, or the court will order that the publication ban be lifted, or similar, under the Act’s provisions. And subsection (3) tells us that after he is 18, and out of custody, then he can be identified. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/29 "2016-01-27T18:53:55Z")
And the routine of winter burials in the North takes over from a horribly non-routine event; father of one of the kids killed sets the fire to thaw the ground for his son’s grave: [‘He was a good kid:’ Father of La Loche victim prepares his son’s grave](http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/he-was-a-good-kid-father-of-la-loche-victim-prepares-his-sons-grave/) > [@](#): > > The father of one of the victims in a northern Saskatchewan shooting burned logs at the community cemetery Monday to thaw the ground where his son will be buried. > > “He was a good kid,” Gerald Moise said as he poured gasoline to ignite a fire that will burn for three days over the grave site. > > He remembered his son, Dayne Fontaine, as a 17-year-old who liked to be outdoors in the remote community of La Loche that sits on the edge of a lake and in the heart of the boreal forest. > > “He always (went) up north with grandparents hunting and he liked quadding.” ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/30 "2016-01-27T23:39:52Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > **Muffin** , sorry I missed this earlier. > > As far as I can tell, officially, everybody is playing by the rules: the accused is not being identified publicly in the media. I see no reason for this to change as things move forward. The basic facts are already known, and the deceased have been identified. In other words, what needs to be known by the public right now is known by the public. > > This could, of course, change; see YCJA s. 110, and note especially subsections (2) and (3). I’d call this a violent offense, but it is unknown at this point if the accused will receive an adult sentence, or the court will order that the publication ban be lifted, or similar, under the Act’s provisions. And subsection (3) tells us that after he is 18, and out of custody, then he can be identified. Well they named the siblings he killed as well as his father so the veil of anonymity is pretty thin. I’m curious to know what his perception of bullying is of people serving time in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/31 "2017-08-30T00:30:30Z")
Sentencing arguments set for this Friday. Accused pled guilty some time ago. Issues are going to be if he gets sentenced as an adult, and the implications of his fetal alcohol syndrome. > **[Closing arguments in La Loche shooter hearing delayed](https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/mobile/closing-arguments-in-la-loche-shooter-hearing-delayed-1.3561409)** > > The teen who killed four and injured seven others in last year’s shooting in La Loche is expected back in a Meadow Lake courtroom Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/32 "2017-08-30T01:01:22Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Sentencing arguments set for this Friday. > > Accused pled guilty some time ago. Issues are going to be if he gets sentenced as an adult, and the implications of his fetal alcohol syndrome. > > [Closing arguments in La Loche shooter hearing delayed | CTV News](http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/mobile/closing-arguments-in-la-loche-shooter-hearing-delayed-1.3561409) The families must feel as though this process has been going forever. And for the shooter, where will it end? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/33 "2017-08-30T02:45:07Z")
Thanks for the update, Piper. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/34 "2017-08-30T02:57:46Z")
**NP** , I’ll add my thanks to those of **Muffin**. Looks like there are still some issues to be resolved as the matter moves forward. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/35 "2017-08-30T03:04:07Z")
I was thinking of you and your Thunder Bay ski club, **Muffin**. **Spoons** , yes, I don’t envy the judge her job on this one. However, the judge, the Crown and defence all have very good reputations, so I’m confident that the result will be fair. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/36 "2017-08-30T03:05:13Z")
Just occurred to me I should ask the mods to add [Update] to te thread title. Leaves the impression that the shooting has just occurred. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/37 "2017-08-30T03:10:31Z")
Just reported my own post, asking for a mod to modify. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/38 "2017-08-30T03:15:32Z")
One issue that the judge has raised is the location where she should give her verdict. The proceedings have been held in Meadow Lake, where there’s a courthouse, but it’s a couple of hundred miles south of La Loche. The Judge has raised the possibility that she should give her verdict in the community hall in La Loche, so that the citizens of the community can attend if they wish. The townsfolk are divided over that, including the mayor. Some think it important to have justice done at the community where the crimes occurred, but others worry it will further split the town. The mayor is still mulling it over, and sounds very thoughtful and conflicted, seeing both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/39 "2017-08-30T06:47:53Z")
**NP** , is it possible to move the matter to a more neutral location? I remember our American friends, and the Oklahoma City bombings. They were able to move the proceedings to Denver. I should know better (mea culpa), but is moving the proceedings to Regina (for example) a possibility? As an aside, I’m unsure why the mayor is involved. Could you explain? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962/40 "2017-08-30T13:31:03Z")
La Loche is a point on the circuit court run out of Meadow Lake. The accused was remanded into custody outside of La Loche while awaiting trial, so normally the trial would be heard at the hub. Given the impact the murders had on the people of La Loche, and the importance of trying to find a course that promotes community healing rather than poking at the community’s wounds, I expect it was a courtesy to the community of La Loch to ask the mayor if the community would prefer that the sentencing to be done there. I don’t know what they do in Sask, but here in Ont it usually comes down to where the district jail is located. If an accused is not remanded into custody while awaiting trial, then the court attendances will usually be held in the satellite/point community, with the court and lawyers travelling (although some interlocutory matters might be heard by video). If an accused is remanded into custody, usually they will usually be placed in the hub’s jail (or other specialized holding facility in the hub), for the satellite/point police detachments are not set up for holding prisoners for more than a few days. Once the accused is in the hub’s jail, usually the proceedings will take place at the hub simply out of practicability. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/school-shooting-in-saskatchewan-4-dead-update/743962.md?page=3)