Four years after a lone gunman entered Montreal’s Dawson College campus and opened fire, a government-funded report states more should have been done to support the survivors of the shooting.
The report from McGill University’s Research Institute states that many of those who were on campus at the time of the shooting suffered from mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Crisis workers were on campus in the days that followed the shooting, but psychological support for the students recovering from injuries in hospital was lacking.
“Psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers visited the hospitalized victims, leaving their business cards, but no thorough evaluation of their condition was done.” No follow up was offered when they returned to school, the report said.
On September 13, 2006, one student was killed and 19 others injured before Kimveer Gill, who referred to himself as the “angel of death,” turned the gun on himself after being cornered by police.
Five days later, students returned to Dawson College for the first time since the shooting. They gathered at 12:41pm, the time that Gill began his shooting spree.
Students stood together, many in silence, wearing pink in remembrance of Anastasia De Sousa, the 18-year-old girl who was killed. Hundreds of friends, family and community members attended De Sousa’s funeral the following day, to mourn and say goodbye.
In the years that followed, the students and staff of Dawson College have commemorated the event through moments of silence, memorial mass ceremonies, and personal reflection.
Despite the time that has passed since the shooting, many are still recovering from the mental trauma suffered, according to the report. It recommends that long-term support is needed for those involved in traumatic events – support that must come from the school and the government.
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