Torontonians react to mass school shooting in U.S.
The day after 19 children and two adults were shot to death in a Texas school massacre, Canadians are feeling sorrow for their neighbours.
“It’s sad, it is heart breaking,” said one woman exiting the subway.
Retired teacher Janice Genova told CTV News Toronto she cannot fathom being inside a classroom with a gunman firing at her young students.
“I just cringe. I can’t imagine being in a classroom with Grade 4’s and that happened and you have no chance of doing anything. You don’t even know that they are in the building. You can’t even hold and secure under the desks like you are taught.”
“For me I was obviously upset about it, I was really shocked with what is going on in the world, its really sad," one young school girl told CTV News Toronto.
Another said she was scared.
“I think it honestly really worries me because I don’t think children should have to worry about being shot by a random adult. They could literally do it any time”
Psychotherapist Roxanne Francis recommends parents of very young children not talk to them about the mass shooting, saying that at that age they don’t need to know about all the tragedy in the world.
‘I would say it depends on the age of the children. If the children are really little, if they are in junior kindergarten then I would say don’t bring it up unless they ask.”
But if they are in grade school, there could be an opening to talk.
“If the children are a little bit older, if they are in grade five, grade four, grade six you may want to say something like ‘something really tragic happened in the U S yesterday’, they maybe talking about it at school."
But the question of how to stop these mass school shootings weighs heavy on the minds of Canadians. Teresa Popanachi says the answer is simple--gun control.
“And the Senate should be able to understand that and pass the law that they can not sell those rifles to just anybody, especially an 18 year old.”
Doug Thompson says the answer is far from simple.
“The guns are already out there and they are going to last 100 years with minimal maintenance. So even if you turned off the tap tomorrow you’ve got 100 years of guns. A very difficult problem.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.