Video shows Toronto student being attacked by boys from another school
A Toronto secondary school is taking extra security measures after a student was attacked by people believed to be from another school in a disturbing incident students say was caught on video.
Toronto police say a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm, and two suspects are outstanding in the incident that has rattled the Scarborough school’s community.
"It's scary for everyone, because people can walk in and out," said Grade 10 student Olivia Jones as she was getting picked up by her grandmother on Wednesday. "I was shocked and I wasn’t expecting it."
One parent, Patrick Hurtubise, said the school isn’t used to surprising events like this.
"The fact that they got inside the school and were able to cause havoc inside the school, that’s a little worrisome," Hurtubise said.
The video shows two people appearing to kick a student in the head as he lays down next to doors, in what the students described as the entrance to the cafeteria.
CTV News Toronto is choosing to only show the video in a limited way as students said it showed an assault of a minor.
Toronto police say the attack happened on Thursday November 18 at approximately 12:10pm.
“It is alleged two boys assaulted a pupil. They fled the school,” a spokesperson said in a an e-mail. “The victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
In a letter to parents, West Hill Collegiate Principal Trevor Bullen said, “Our thoughts are with the student and their family for a speedy recovery. This is now a police matter.”
He said that West Hill School-based safety monitors will be increased from 2.5 to four for the foreseeable future, and they have requested a new buzzer system at the front door.
Bullen asked students to stay on schedule, stay together with classmates while on break, and limit departures from class. He also said that students on spare periods should either go home or stay in the library.
“I do want to say that this week’s incident does not define our fantastic school community and the amazing work that goes on in our classrooms daily,” he wrote.
Toronto police also confirmed another incident on Nov. 15, at about 2 p.m., where a pupil at the same school was assaulted. A video in that case shows two people fighting in a school hallway as a third attempts to break them up.
“The pupil was not seriously injured. This remains an ongoing investigation and officers are working with the school,” the TPS spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Despite the recent incidents, the statistics show the schools may be getting less violent. In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 873 suspensions district-wide for physical assault, and 1,113 for fighting.
Both of those dropped to 593 for physical assaults and 633 for fighting. It’s possible that the pandemic restrictions played a role in the decrease.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.