Seven months after a deadly stabbing at Abbotsford Senior Secondary School that sent shockwaves far beyond the Fraser Valley, officials have released a report on the district's crisis response containing dozens of recommendations.
Overall, the report found the staff members who rushed to help during the Nov. 1 stabbing, which killed 13-year-old Letisha Reimer and left her friend seriously wounded, responded courageously and commendably to a horrific situation.
"No one could have anticipated, nor prepared themselves, for such a tragic event to happen in a school in our community," it reads. "Without regard for their own personal safety, staff acted quickly [and] brought a violent attack to a stop, and immediately provided medical care to the wounded students."
The suspect in the stabbing, a 21-year-old with no fixed address, was confronted at the scene by staff members, including the school's principal and vice principal, who held him until police arrived.
But there was a slight delay getting treatment to one of the victims, according to the report. As paramedics were tending to Reimer, her friend was bleeding on the floor of a locked computer lab where she had fled from their attacker.
Staff members were applying first aid, but “there was no phone, intercom or cell signal in the computer lab, which prevented first aid personnel from knowing that there was a second victim," the report reads.
Eventually, a student looked through the computer lab door, saw first responders and alerted them that someone else was hurt.
The report, which reviewed the incident as well as emergency response protocols for the entire district, found staff members at Abbotsford Senior Secondary followed existing lockdown procedures and provided appropriate post-crisis support.
That included arranging for counselors at a church across the street, where hundreds of people ultimately gathered to share their grief.
The report still identified some areas for potential improvements, including in the dissemination of details to parents during the emergency. Though the stabbing took place around 2 p.m., some parents were unaware of what was happening as they arrived at the school to get their children.
"Notifications were only circulated on the district, Abbotsford Senior and Abbotsford Middle Schools websites and web apps," the report reads.
One recommendation is for the district to review how it communicates with parents, students, staff and the community in general during emergency situations.
The report also recommends reviewing some of the district's lockdown protocols, including how they apply to students who are outside and what should happen in situations where a teacher or supervisor isn't present.
It also calls on the district to consider equipping all classrooms with first aid kits.
To read the full report, including all 31 recommendations, click here.
