An unknown man entered a high school in Toronto’s west end and assaulted a grade 12 student, causing the school to be briefly placed in lockdown. According to the police, the man was let inside the school premises by some students, and he tried to grab a group of students when a grade 12 student asked him to leave.
The incident took place on Tuesday just after noon at St. Mary Catholic Academy, near Dufferin and Bloor streets. An allegedly homeless man who was previously “antagonized” by some students from the school chased after them and was let in by some of the students. Peers of the students who reportedly antagonized the homeless man spoke with the media and said, “He was chasing them for some reason. He looked pissed. He was enraged.”
Another student shared, “He was trying to grab me and my friends, but teachers got us away, but he was choking one of my friends over a bench.” The man grabbed a grade 12 student named Justin by the neck who later spoke with the media and described his perspective. “He just grabbed me by the neck here, but he didn’t crush it. He just held me there and then he just pinned me against the wall,” said Justin who was shaken up after the incident.
Justin did not suffer any major injuries and said that he asked the man to leave after he was allegedly threatening other students. “[I’m] a little bit shaken up. A bit of adrenaline coursing through me. I feel like stepping up is a big thing for others,” he added.
The school was briefly put on lockdown and after hearing the three alarms and the students barricaded the classrooms, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
A video of the incident shows a man wearing a blue jacket grabbing onto a student. Two people intervene and the man lets go of the student. As per the police description, the man was wearing a knee-length jacket, blue toque with the band, and pom pom. The police added that an investigation is currently underway.
Vineet Washington