Teen girl charged with attempted murder after student set on fire at Saskatoon high school
The suspect, who was arrested at the scene immediately after the shocking incident, appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court Friday morning.
A 14-year-old girl has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly dousing a 15-year-old girl in a flammable substance and setting her on fire at a Saskatoon high school on Thursday.
The suspect, who was arrested at the scene immediately after the incident, made her first appearance in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Friday morning. She is facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and arson, according to police.
The victim was airlifted to a hospital in Edmonton, where she remains in serious condition. The Saskatoon police’s serious assault unit is continuing to investigate the case.
Both the suspect and the victim are students at Evan Hardy Collegiate, where the incident took place.
Emergency services were called around 12:30 p.m., reporting an assault and a fire at the school, leading to an evacuation of the building.
Students recalled the sudden chaos as alarms sounded. Gus Alibibu, a student at the school, described the moment: “I was in class, and all of a sudden the fire alarm just went off. Everyone left, and we didn’t see anyone get arrested.”
A School Resource Officer (SRO) was at the school for an unrelated event when the attack occurred. Police say the officer responded within 30 seconds and apprehended the suspect within 60 seconds.
Sergeant Ken Kane, the SRO unit supervisor, noted the importance of the quick response. "It was fortunate that a Saskatoon school resource officer was already on-site, and he immediately responded to where the incident was happening,” Kane said during a news conference. “I believe this situation could have been far worse if the officer hadn’t been there so quickly."
The fire was extinguished promptly by a teacher and staff members. “Whether it was with a fire extinguisher or something else, they were able to put it out,” Kane added.
Saskatoon Public Schools announced that classes would be canceled on Friday, but the school would remain open, offering counseling services to students.
