16-year-old boy dies after stabbing outside his Montreal high school

A 16-year-old boy has died after being stabbed outside of his school in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough Monday.

Montreal police say there was an altercation involving a group of teens outside Mile End high school, an alternative high school in the English Montreal School Board, near the corner of Van Horne and Victoria avenues around 3 p.m.

Police say the victim was stabbed in the upper body. 

The injured boy went into the school for help and was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

According to the EMSB, the boy was a student at the high school, located in the basement of another school, Coronation Elementary. Both schools have cancelled classes today and a trauma team has been deployed to meet with staff and assist students.

"This is absolutely shocking," said EMSB spokesperson Mike Cohen. "This is not something that's ever occurred on the grounds of one of our schools."

According to the homepage of the school's website, Mile End high school is a small school with small classes that helps students in Grades 10 and 11 get back on track academically. 

Cohen says the alternative school system has helped turn students' lives around and he stresses the system should not be tainted by this incident. 

"This is an isolated incident and it should not paint our alternative school system badly," he said. "We don't have issues with these students." 

Cohen says the board doesn't know yet if they'll be stepping up security at the school. 

In a statement, the EMSB extended its condolences to the family and friends of the student. 

"This is a very sad day," said EMSB director general Nick Katalifos. "We will make sure that all of the necessary resources are made available to this community."

Cohen says the trauma team will be with the staff Wednesday to guide them through talking with students about the incident when they return to class. 

He says some staff and students witnessed the stabbing, adding it's a "terrible experience for anyone to have to go through." 

Because the matter is under police investigation, the EMSB says it cannot comment further. 

Police say they are looking for teen suspects, possibly three of them, who fled on foot. Cohen says it appears the suspects were not from the high school, but that has not been confirmed by police. 

It's the 25th homicide on the Montreal police service's territory this year, police say.