More victims confirmed in Neelin sword attack
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Two more victims have been confirmed in last June’s sword attack at a Brandon high school — and the 16-year-old accused now faces three counts of attempted murder.
The Crown is also seeking to have the youth sentenced as an adult if convicted.
The boy was originally charged with one count of attempted murder for his alleged attack on a fellow student and two separate counts of assault with a weapon, along with other charges.
A Brandon police vehicle sits parked in front of École secondaire Neelin High School on June 10 after a violent attack inside the school. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)
The Crown recently upgraded the assault-with-a-weapon charges to attempted murder in relation to the two other victims, Crown attorney Jennifer Comack told the Sun in an email Tuesday.
“It is our position that we have a reasonable likelihood of conviction and that it is in the public interest to proceed on the charges of attempt murder for all three victims,” she said.
The Brandon Police Service did not respond at press time Tuesday to the Sun’s request for information on the other two victims.
The Crown also gave notice of the intention to seek an adult sentence should the accused be convicted or plead guilty. Comack could not share any further information on what that would entail.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits the Sun from naming the accused.
On June 10, a 15-year-old Black student was rushed to Brandon Regional Health Centre in serious condition after he was stabbed in the chest, forearms, hands and thighs at École secondaire Neelin High School.
Roughly a week later, Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates confirmed that the attack was a “targeted act of hate.”
“The offender planned the attack and the perpetration of violence against targets chosen specifically based on race — targeting people of colour and immigrants,” Bates said in a written statement.
Additionally, he said that there was digital and eyewitness evidence that the accused was “anti-immigration.”
No hate-related charges have been laid.
The Crown and defence will discuss the matter again on Oct. 7.
» sanderson@brandonsun.com