According to the Brandon Police Service, a frightening and unusual assault at a local high school took just seven minutes to resolve.
Police Chief Tyler Bates, addressing the public after a sword attack at Neelin High School, said police got the call of the assault at 1:15 PM on Tuesday, June 10, arrived at the school by 1:18, and had arrested a 16-year-old male by 1:22. The victim, a 15-year-old male, is now in stable condition.
“The actions taken (by school officials and police) were not by chance,” Bates said. “They were the result of preparation, care, and a commitment to student safety.”
The school went into lockdown, which was lifted as soon as the suspect was in custody, and the students were sent home early. The 16-year-old now faces charges of attempted murder, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous person, and disguise with intent. Bates could not go into details of the latter charge, but did say the attacker tried to conceal his identity.
“The motive behind the act remains under investigation, and witness interviews are ongoing,” said Bates.
During the arrest, Bates said BPS officers used a conducted energy weapon. He praised “split second decision making” on their part.
“In the face of mortal danger, our Brandon Police Service officers demonstrated exceptional bravery, professionalism, and restraint,” Bates said. “They ran toward the threat, risking their own safety with composure and care, and deployed a conducted energy weapon against a mortal threat to subdue, safely, the subject in question.”
Investigation into motives and witness interviews will continue from here, and there are things the BPS was not yet able to tell the public. Bates said the School Resource Officer had not had any prior dealings with the student in question, but he could not say whether this was a singular targeted attack or if the suspect had intention to harm anyone else after the attack on the first victim. He described the attack as “deranged”.
Bates reaffirmed the description of the weapon used as a “sword” but also said they didn’t yet know how the suspect had obtained the sword, and could not provide any further description of the weapon. Bates was also asked if they believed drugs or alcohol were involved in the attack.
“We don’t have any indication at this juncture that we’re talking about somebody who was under the influence,” he said. “It’s an active, fluid, ongoing investigation, and there could be details that come to light that provide further information. At this juncture of the investigation, there’s no indication we’re talking about altered states or a situation where drugs were specifically involved.”
Bates added they don’t yet know anything about the student’s specific medical or mental health history but that would be something that was investigated. He also said the exact location of the attack was not something he would disclose, but it did happen within the school.
