4 killed in Dawson College shooting

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Up to three gunman dressed in black army fatigues opened fire in a downtown Montreal college on Wednesday, and early, unconfirmed reports said four people had been killed.

RDI Television quoted unofficial sources as saying that 16 people may also been injured in the shootout. The network said one gunman had turned his weapon on himself and committed suicide, while a second had been shot and killed by police. This could not yet be confirmed.

[Reuters]

Nobody old enough to remember the École Polytechnique massacre can hear this news without an awful shiver of recognition. Do we have another Marc Lépine on our hands? Was the shooter (or shooters? It's still not clear... ) inspired by the notorious 1989 attack? December 6 is a national day of mourning in Canada, but the annual moment of silent remembrance always felt especially chilling when sitting in a college classroom in Montreal.

My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those killed.

UPDATE (1:30 AM, 14 September 2006): Obviously, the initial news reports from the scene were very confused. It now seems there was a single gunman (a 25-year old man, whose name has not yet been publicly identified, and whose motives are still a mystery), who was shot dead by Montreal police. He wounded at least 19 people in his shooting spree, but although some are still in critical condition, only one victim has -- so far -- died, -- 18-year-old Dawson student Anastasia DeSouza. We can only hope the other victims pull through.

CNN.com
The Globe And Mail
Montreal Gazette

Montreal pianist David Ryshpan reflects on the event and its aftermath.

Comments

[Ryshpan]

1.

I don't think this is an Ecole Polytechnique redux, though there's not enough information out yet to conclude. Cabot Square (the park south of Dawson College, outside of Atwater metro) and the surrounding areas have become increasing havens of drug dealers and the homeless - possibly the customers of these same dealers.

Supposedly the shooter was firing randomly, which rules out the Lepine aspect of this. That isn't as comforting as it might sound.