Review sparked by stabbing death of Abbotsford student makes 31 recommendations
Report suggests improving lockdown siren and cellular service at Abbotsford Senior Secondary and other schools
The Abbotsford School District is recommending improving lockdown and emergency procedures in a review sparked by the stabbing death of 13-year-old Letisha Reimer at Abbotsford Senior Secondary school.
On Nov. 1, 2016 an intruder entered the school and stabbed Reimer and another Grade 9 student with a knife.
The report makes 31 recommendations, including:
- Improving the lockdown siren at Abbotsford Senior Secondary and other Abbotsford schools.
- Consider equipping classrooms with first aid kits and information on how to provide basic first aid
- Review cell phone coverage at all schools.
- Ensure principals have keys to access all spaces within the building and consider having multiple administrators trained in crisis management.
- Consider the installation of a barrier between the Fraser Valley Regional Library and the Abbotsford Senior Secondary library to control access to the school.
The report says the intruder entered the school through the Fraser Valley Regional Library which shares space with the school library, and proceeded into the school's rotunda area where he attacked the two girls.
Emergency personnel were not immediately aware there was a second victim because one of the girls ran to a computer lab where there was no phone intercom or cell signal available.
According to the report, "the automatic siren and message regarding the lockdown repeated for hours without any additional messaging from the school office," making an already stressful situation worse.
Gabriel Klein, 21, has been charged with second-degree murder.
The report says the attack was random and unprovoked.
"That such an event happened within the walls of a school was shocking and terrifying," reads the summary.