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A La Loche woman is thankful her sister is expected to pull through after she was hurt in Friday’s shooting at the Dene High School in La Loche.
For clarity, we’ll call her Anna. A publication ban forbids identifying the wounded.
Speaking before a prayer gathering at the Clearwater Dene First Nation, Anna said she was at the La Loche hospital for an appointment Friday afternoon. She saw the first emergency vehicles arrive carrying people who’d been shot.
She said another woman in the waiting area told her there had been a shooting at the school. Anna said she asked if anyone knew who’d been hurt.
“I was given a name, and I just thought, ‘well, my sister does hang out with this girl,” she said.
From there, Anna went to the emergency area, trying to find out who else was being brought in. Once she learned her sister was one of the people shot, she said worries started racing through her mind.
“If there’s a shooting, how serious is it? Is she okay? Is it really her? Is she alive? Is she injured badly?”
“They’re a great family. The grandparents are wonderful people and they’re a hard-working family,” she said. “I feel terrible for them, they are going through a lot right now … I just want them to know that we are all thinking of them,” she said.
Anna said all she could do was try to stay calm.
“That was the only way to be. And once I finally saw her and she was not as seriously injured, I was glad to see that,” she said.
With the knowledge that her sister will be coming home, Anna said the next step will be making sure she gets the help she needs to try and move past this tragedy. She said a big part of that will be reassuring her that she’ll be protected.
“We are all going to be there for her in any way possible, and make sure she gets back to being ‘normal,’ whatever that may be,” she said.
Since the shooting, Anna has poured much of her time into helping with nightly prayer gatherings held at local community halls. She said the work has helped keep her steady, and for the most part, her concerns lie with helping all the people whose lives have been upended by Friday’s unimaginable events.
“Despite all that’s happened, I’m doing pretty good. I just know that I need to be a strong person and give my support where needed,” she said.
Anna she said support also extends to the family of the boy accused of the shooting. While she said she didn’t know the boy well, her relationship with the family goes back decades.
“They’re a great family. The grandparents are wonderful people and they’re a hard-working family,” she said. “I feel terrible for them, they are going through a lot right now … I just want them to know that we are all thinking of them,” she said.
With so much media having descended on the town, Anna said she wanted people to know there is more to the community than the tragic circumstances getting beamed around the world.
“Just try not to be too quick to judge. You will never know until you experience visiting this place … there are people that love this community, and have made La Loche their home for many, many years, and despite all the negativity – it’s not always a fact.”
