WINNIPEG – Police say “relationship issues” may be what sparked the fight and fatal stabbing at Kelvin High School Tuesday afternoon.
Fellow students tell Global News the boys involved were fighting over a girl.
Meantime, friends of 17-year old Brett Bourne are trying to come to term with his death. The former student died in hospital after the stabbing just outside the school on Kingsway over the noon hour.
Shaynna Andrew had just seen him before he was killed.
“As we were leaving I gave him a hug, and said bye, that was the last thing I said to him,” said Andrew, through tears.
Police and the heavily armed tactical unit were called to the school around 12:30 after a fight broke out between Bourne and a 16-year old student, when a 17-year old student stepped in.
“The 16-year old male involved disengaged at which time a third male intervened, during that time the third male stabbed 17-year old Brett Bourne,” said Constable Jason Michalyshen, with the Winnipeg Police Service.
READ MORE: Student stabbed to death at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg
Police say both Bourne and the suspect were known to police.
Letters have gone home to parents and the Winnipeg School Division is launching an internal investigation. It’s not clear where the fight began, if the suspect carried a knife into the school, or why a former student was there.
“We have security measures in place at all of our high schools,” said Winnipeg School Division Trustee, Mark Wasyliw, “we have security cameras and we’ve turned the video over to the Winnipeg Police Service.”
Winnipeg School Division Clinical Support Services immediately attended Kelvin High School to provide support for students and staff. Counsellors will continue to provide services at the schools and in the community as needed.
“We have a good school with great students and a terrific staff and it is devastating to our school community to have such a senseless act take place,” said Principal Jim Brown. “I’m very thankful to Winnipeg Police Services, the Tactical Support Team and Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Services for their response and support.”
Brown said students and staff at the school are shocked and grieving, but coming together to support each other as details emerge from the police investigation.
A makeshift memorial in front of the school continued to grow Wednesday, as friends, teachers and complete strangers brought flowers.
“He was a really good person and he was always, he’d always walk us home if it was dark out, and make sure we were safe,” grade 11 student Arabella Moore knew Bourne well but also went to school with the suspect, “it’s probably going to be a really quiet day.”
With the end of the school year just weeks away, andrew says this is not how they wanted it to end.
“He didn’t deserve this, he will be missed.”
Winnipeg police are still interviewing witnesses but don’t expect to make any further arrests.
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