Ontario teacher, Adam Wood, killed in La Loche, Sask., shooting

A former Uxbridge, Ont., man who moved to Saskatchewan in September to begin his teaching career was among the four victims killed in the shooting at La Loche High School on Friday, his family has confirmed

Adam Wood, 35, died Friday, along with Marie Janvier, 21, and brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine. Seven others were wounded in the violence, which took place at a home and a school in the rural Dene community of about 3,000 people.

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RCMP contacted Wood's father about 2 a.m. Saturday to confirm his son had died in shooting, Ted Wood wrote on Facebook.

'Quite an adventurer'

"Our family, Adam's partner, friends and community are devastated by the news," the Woods wrote in a statement released later in the morning. "Adam was quite an adventurer, had a passion for life, and would often make you laugh until your stomach hurt. He was always up for a good challenge and lived each day joyously."

Wood had just started his teaching career in the fall after he moved to Saskatchewan to take the position. His family said he was happy and feeling fulfilled in his new career.

Adam Wood could put a smile on anyone's face.- Andrea Arkell, childhood friend

"It's a bit surreal right now," Diane Strong, a neighbour of the Wood family, told CBC News. "A lot of people are devastated.

"Everyone in this little town is definitely thinking about them."

Wood attended Lakehead University where he took the Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism/Concurrent Education program, something he described as a perfect fit because of his love of nature and adventure.

He spent much of his free time outside, with the Northshore Telemark Ski School in Thunder Bay and the outdoor recreation society at university.

'He was very dedicated to other people'

Brian McIntosh, who lives on the same street as the Wood family, said Adam was "deeply involved" in a local church and was "pursuing his love of helping others" when he was killed.

"He was very dedicated to other people," he said. "There is really no words for it, really."

McIntosh's wife, Ramona, added that the community will rally for the Wood family.

"We are a very close neighbourhood. We are very close, at heart, with them," she said on her front porch in Uxbridge. "What else can we do but give them a big hug."

In a post on Facebook, Wood's childhood friend Andrea Arkell called him one of the kindest people she had ever met.

"Adam Wood could put a smile on anyone's face. One of the friendliest and funniest person I knew and certainly will be missed," she wrote. 

At an afternoon news conference on Saturday, RCMP said a 17-year-old male has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder and one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm. The teen's identity cannot be revealed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.