La Loche school still dealing with trauma, sense of abandonment
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It's been a year since the tragic shootings in LaLoche, SK, and the school and the community are still recovering. The school principal says that they feel like they've been abandoned. Above is a photo of a news article in a Saskatchewan newspaper on the one-year anniversary.
LA LOCHE, SK-It's been just over a year since this northern Saskatchewan school was hit by a deadly shooting in which a teacher and teacher's aide were killed and seven people were wounded.
The shooter also killed two brothers before going on a shooting spree at the school.
Since that tragic day, the principal says that staff and students feel like they've been abandoned.
According to Principal Greg Hatch, the school received some help at the time of the shooting but after about a month, the school was left on its own to make it through the rest of the year.
"Things were the same when as we left in June, so there was frustration, anger..." the principal told Canadian Press (CP). "It's not a statement of disrespect. It's just an honest answer (to) where we are at. We were traumatized. We still haven't dealt with the trauma."
According to CP, "Hatch said students are struggling in school and staff are struggling with their work.
'Every day that a student gets out of bed and comes to school and walks through those doors...it's a good day for them,' said Hatch, who was in the building when the shooting occurred."
"We're just trying to make it through each day."
La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre told CP that "there's a long recovery road ahead for the entire community, despite some help for housing and other initiatives."
The shooter is awaiting sentencing in May.
