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A GoFundMe page set up for the family of a 16-year-old Edmonton teen who died after an assault outside McNally High School last week has raised more than $150,000.
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The page identifies the teen as Karanveer Sahota and was created by Monica Binns on Saturday. In the post, Binns identifies herself as his cousin.
The victim’s father is on long-term disability and his mother is unable to go to work due to her grief and she has a 13-year-old daughter to support, the page reads. The funds would help the family with living expenses while they suffer.
The page also gives alleged details of the “senseless” act that happened outside the school that day, explaining the teen was “brutally” murdered while standing alone by a group of teens.
“He was stabbed in every organ, shot in the arms, and beat in the head,” the post reads. “They left him there in the school field for dead. The hospital gave him the best treatment possible but the injuries were too severe.”
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Homicide unit investigating
On April 8, at around 2:44 pm, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) received reports of an assault that happened outside of the high school that sent a 16-year-old boy to hospital in critical condition.
In a news release Saturday, Edmonton police said the teen died in hospital on Friday, and the homicide section is now investigating. A number of youth suspects have since been identified.
“This tragedy has affected so many, but this is not a time for anger or hatred — this is a time to grieve and heal as a community,” Staff Sgt. Colin Leathem said the news release.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.
A memorial seen outside McNally High School on Monday had flowers, stuffed animals, and a photo of Sahota.
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Darrel Robertson, superintendent for Edmonton Public Schools, offered condolences to the family of the McNally High School student during a Saturday afternoon media availability.
“Our hearts are certainly with them, with our McNally school community, with our students, our staff and everyone impacted by what is really the unimaginable,” Robertson said.
He emphasized safety is of “paramount importance” to all of the division’s schools.
“I want parents to know that our schools are amazing places and we work very hard to ensure the success of our kids, and that includes their safety, and that won’t change,” he said.
Since 2020, Edmonton Public Schools has suspended its school resource officer program as it undergoes an evaluation. When asked Saturday about the program, Robertson said Edmonton police continue to be important partners with the school division.
“I think with any programs that we have in schools, there has to be an evaluative component. We have to make sure that we’re hearing the voice of community, that we’re understanding the impact on our kids,” Robertson said.
“But I just want to underscore the significance of police in our community and the significance of our partnership with the Edmonton Police Service and that will continue as we work through and look at the program into the future.”
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi also offered his condolences to Sahota’s loved ones, calling his death a “senseless act of violence.”
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Alberta’s education minister Adriana LaGrange said Edmonton Public Schools will have additional mental health and crisis supports in place and available for students and staff when school resumes on Wednesday.