What led to a 16-year-old’s deadly stabbing at a college in Montreal’s West Island this week nonetheless isn’t clear—a minimum of by way of what sort of battle sparked a battle Tuesday amongst a number of boys.
Nonetheless, what is evident is that a minimum of a type of youngsters was carrying a knife and that's what price Lucas Gaudet his life, his mom mentioned.
“Why are youngsters strolling round with knives and weapons of their possessions? After we have been rising up, it wasn’t like that,” Lynne Baudouy instructed CTV Information.
“You realize, we did not have to fret about, if we did get right into a battle, that we will get stabbed or shot.”
Lucas, who died Thursday after his mind was disadvantaged of oxygen throughout the stabbing two days earlier, was “a present” and “the most effective baby any mother or father may have ever requested for,” mentioned Baudouy.
What she fears now's that “his demise is for nothing,” she mentioned.
“I hope there’s going to be a motion that begins with Lucas’s demise, and I hope the neighborhood realizes that one thing wants to vary,” she mentioned, combating again tears.
Three boys, ages 16 and 17, have been arrested within the stabbing, with one already charged.
Baudouy mentioned that her son was merely “within the flawed place, on the flawed time,” and that she doesn’t wish to get into additional particulars whereas the police investigation is ongoing.
Nonetheless, she mentioned she doesn’t blame the opposite boys, both—although she’s in her personal “worst nightmare,” she’s sparing a thought for them, too.
“My coronary heart goes out to the opposite household, to the boys that did this as a result of I imply, they’re youngsters, too,” Baudouy mentioned.
“They made a foul selection, a foul mistake. A nasty choice does not imply that they are unhealthy youngsters,” she mentioned.
“I would like them to know that I forgive them—that, you understand, Lucas's life is over now, it is completed. However their lives nonetheless go on and so they nonetheless are going to wish numerous assist.”
“Forgiveness is the one manner that we will get by way of this,” she mentioned.
Based on his classmates, Gaudet was well-liked, kind-hearted and and welcoming to all. (Submitted)
The 2 faculties concerned are each in Pointe-Claire—John Rennie Excessive Faculty, the place Lucas was in Grade 10, and St-Thomas Excessive Faculty, the place he went after college on Tuesday. The battle befell close to St-Thomas.
However a former vice-principal at John Rennie mentioned these faculties don’t have a specific document of violence, and that John Rennie was “one of many most secure faculties I’ve ever labored in.”
The newer, broader pattern of children carrying weapons is what’s actually alarming, mentioned Liz Joyce.
“There have at all times been fights in highschool. The issue is what the youngsters are bringing to the fights these days,” mentioned Joyce, who retired from John Rennie in January 2021.
Lucas, whom she knew for a yr and a half, was “candy and respectful,” she mentioned, “well mannered” and “nicely introduced up.”
She was grieving his demise Friday, together with numerous lecturers, college students, neighbours and household mates within the space.
In her time working in Pointe-Claire, it wasn’t frequent for teenagers to battle on college property, however they'd typically take that form of “performing out” to parks or to the mall.
Like Lucas’s mom, nevertheless, she decried the concept that such younger college students could be strolling round with lethal weapons—and their dad and mom could also be shocked about who's carrying them, contemplating that, in her judgement, many don’t intend to make use of them to assault however to defend themselves.
“I did take away just a few knives over time, however not quite a bit,” she mentioned.
“However I'd encourage dad and mom to examine their youngsters’ backpacks. Children typically carry them for ‘safety’... not realizing their finest safety is to inform an grownup if they're having an issue with friends.”
To college students, she gave the identical recommendation for 20 years, she mentioned: “the recommendation of martial arts masters, who at all times say the primary [defence] is to get out of any state of affairs that would doubtlessly be violent. Run in the wrong way,” she would inform them.
Lucas’s former hockey coach additionally mentioned he’s not solely mourning a participant he remembered as “at all times smiles,” however pondering deeply concerning the larger issues.
Lucas’s demise has been “shattering,” mentioned coach Peter Michaud.
Gaudet’s former hockey coach, Peter Michaud, mentioned he was a “actually good child” and an excellent teammate.
“A superb teammate, hard-working child. Only a actually, actually good child to have on a workforce and have round you,” he described his former participant.
Michaud was pondering numerous Gaudet’s dad and mom, who have been supportive and ensured he by no means missed a apply.
“I do know it’s going to be very troublesome for them to maneuver on,” he mentioned. “No one deserves to need to undergo this in life.”
However he was additionally questioning what sort of help, steering or heart-to-hearts youngsters are missing that may cease them from creating such tragedies.
“I believe that’s one thing that society’s lacking,” he mentioned.
Out of three homicides up to now in 2022 in Montreal, two of the victims have been minors—17 years outdated.
Final fall, there have been a number of different assaults and homicides involving very younger Montrealers, together with the deadly stabbing of Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, who additionally encountered a number of boys outdoors his college in late October, a minimum of one in all who had a knife.
That’s along with many different cases of shootings, fights and stabbings, some deadly, involving very younger adults of their late teenagers and early 20s within the Montreal space.
Lucas’s coronary heart stopped for 20 minutes instantly after his assault, mentioned his mom, and the dearth of oxygen to his mind was what in the end killed him. Whereas surgical procedure to restore the harm from the stab wounds went nicely, his mind confirmed no exercise.
She mentioned that his three siblings miss him “dearly” and his father “doesn’t have the energy” proper now for a lot past mourning, however the outpouring of help from individuals locally has been “unbelievable.”
“You realize, he is touched so many individuals's lives… I am confused,” she mentioned.
She hopes individuals collectively will come to a turning level, she mentioned.
“I do not precisely know what wants to vary however one thing has to vary, or the mentality has to vary, the system has to vary,” she mentioned.
“I do not need one other mother or father having to lose their baby at 16 years outdated or 15 or 17 or regardless of the age,” she mentioned.
“You realize, even when they're an grownup, they're 21, 22, 23, they're nonetheless our baby. They're nonetheless our child, and it is not proper.”
Lucas Gaudet was simply 16 years outdated when he was stabbed throughout a battle with quite a few teenage boys.
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