Kinew meets with sword attack victim, apologizes ‘as a leader in the Indigenous community’

SPRUCE WOODS — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew personally apologized Thursday to the 15-year-old victim of last week’s sword attack and his family “as a leader in the Indigenous community.”

Kinew, accompanied by Deputy Premier and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, visited the family of Chinonso Onuke at their home near Sprucewoods on Thursday morning.

The family, still reeling from the trauma of the June 10 attack at École secondaire Neelin High School, welcomed the visit and invited the Sun to witness the event.

“As a leader in the Indigenous community, I’m sorry for what this boy did to you,” Kinew told Chinonso during the nearly 90-minute visit. Though the 15-year-old appeared to tell the premier that he was not responsible for the attack, Kinew further said, “No, but I accept responsibility for the role that needs to played in that person’s accountability. So hopefully, sharing those words can bring you some measure of comfort to healing.”

The premier said he felt the need to make the apology because he was moved by the victim’s and family’s experience.

“I was very moved by what this young man has been through,” he said. “As premier, and with the minister of health, I wanted to come and offer encouragement and support. During our conversation, the family shared some of their experiences with anti-Black racism, and I felt it was important to offer my perspective.”

Kinew said it’s no coincidence that his deputy is a Nigerian-Canadian.

“We want to send a clear message that this province is for everyone,” he said. “While the matter is now before the courts and I can’t speak to all the specific allegations, I want Nonso, his family and everyone in Manitoba to know that we are moving forward together and that we take a stand against racism whenever we encounter it.”

A 16-year-old boy, also a Neelin student, has been charged with attempted murder and other offences in the attack. Earlier this week, a judge ordered a mental health assessment for the youth.

Members of the Nigerian community in Brandon visited the Onuke family on Sunday, raising a number of concerns about safety, and the deputy premier addressed those issues during Thursday’s visit.

“As a born and raised Nigerian-Canadian-Manitoban, we have a very strong Nigerian community, a growing Nigerian community here in Manitoba,” Asagwara said. “Whenever a serious incident or tragedy like this takes place, it’s so important that we bring communities together to reassure one another that our province is still welcoming, still loving … Nigerians are valued here.”

Asagwara also praised the family’s resilience.

“The strength and the compassion of the family is remarkable. This is a very smart, very spirited, beautiful young man who is surrounded by love and has a strong community of support around him.”

Asagwara added, “What he has survived and what the family is navigating is something that we don’t want anybody to ever have to go through … It was very generous of them to welcome us into their home, to hear first-hand what their experience has been and to offer their perspective in terms of what we can do as legislators moving forward.”

Kinew also used the visit to emphasize the need for a review of school safety, referencing school resource officers (SROs). The Brandon police response on June 10 was triggered after an SRO was contacted by a student at the school.

“My thoughts are for this school resource officer, whom I’ve reached out to but haven’t had a chance to connect with directly,” Kinew said, adding he was “very moved by their professionalism and their swift response, which helped to make sure that a terrible situation did not become worse.”

He said the province is open to discussions on broader safety measures.

“There have been some questions from some folks about the broader SRO policies in different divisions,” Kinew said. “We’ll be there to support and encourage those conversations where local school divisions move forward with them.”

Asked if the government sees a need to implement changes, Kinew said, “I think it’s going to be an ongoing conversation … For me, the overarching principle is ‘Every Child Matters,’ which means that we need to ensure that every child feels safe.”

Helen Onuke, the victim’s mother, agreed that broader collaboration is needed.

“We talked about all stakeholders coming together to discuss,” she told the Sun. “Some teachers might have an idea, students have ideas, parents and the city too … just coming together and putting heads together to see how we can make the community safe for everybody.”

Copycat situations are possible, she added.

“We need all stakeholders at the table. I’m glad Premier Kinew is open to that.”

She described the premier’s visit as “wonderful” and “humbling.”

“When our leaders take things that happen in the community seriously, it helps to strengthen the group … It’s helpful for healing, because it has shown Nonso that the premier is concerned about what’s happening, not just with him, but with the entire community,” Onuke said.

“Him taking his time — he was here for over an hour sitting down — was humbling for us as a family… That was wonderful. I think it does help with healing.”

Nonso’s father, Onyebuchi Onuke, noted the outreach from Indigenous individuals in the aftermath of the attack.

“The Indigenous community has been reaching out to me, sending me emails,” he said. “They are letting me know that this is not part of them … They’re promising to come back, to see what they can do to help in this situation.”

As the visit concluded, Kinew left the family with a message of encouragement.

“Hopefully, sharing those words can bring you somewhere,” he told Nonso. “You have a lot of support … Your example of leadership in the moment, now I know why — it’s because you come from a wonderful family.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola