Sukhjeevan Sharma,
A 17-year-old boy turned himself in to police on Tuesday evening accompanied by his lawyer and has been charged with second-degree murder. The boy, who cannot be named, made a brief court appearance Wednesday. His next scheduled court appearance is Oct. 14. He will remain in custody until at least then. The stabbing happened after noon Tuesday in the hallway of the school at 2580 Kipling Ave., just north of Finch Avenue West. The incident marked the first time a student has been killed inside a Toronto high school since 2007, when 15-year-old Jordan Manners was shot to death inside C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute.
Student came from Afghanistan At a press conference outside the school Tuesday afternoon, principal Naeem Siddiq described Aminzada as “quite focused on his family and his future” and that he was “very involved, very kind and well-known to teachers and students.” Aminzada hails from a large family and came to Canada a little more than two years ago from Afghanistan. He was in his second year at the school. Siddiq added that there was no indication that Aminzada had troubles with any other students.
“This is a sombre day for the entire TDSB community, especially the students and staff at North Albion, as we mourn the tragic loss of this young life,” said Donna Quan, director of education for the Toronto District School Board. Quan spent the day at the school Monday, and told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning show Wednesday she learned that Aminzada was “a very caring young man who contributed to the life of his school.” Classes at North Albion Collegiate Institute resumed Wednesday. Quan said grief counsellors were there to help students deal with Aminzada’s death.
Are metal detectors the answer? Quan said school board staff will hold a debriefing and issue a report about the stabbing after the conclusion of the police investigation to determine if the school could have done anything differently to prevent the death. At a news conference Wednesday, she was asked about whether the school should tighten security by installing metal detectors at entrances. She said metal detectors “are not the answer.” “We don’t want to create a situation where our students are patted down and checked before they enter schools,” she said. Quan said the school board believes building relationships between staff and students is a better route to prevent violence. She said that since the Manners killing, schools have numbered all doors, formed safe school committees and boosted bullying prevention programs.
