Rachel and I Okay

Some of you have called because you heard about the shooting that happened today in Montreal. This e-mail is to let you know Rachel and I are okay, and to explain what I know about the situation.

Sadly a gunman opened fire at a college here in Montreal. The gunman was killed by police and a large number of people were injured. There are several people critically injured, but no other reported deaths at this point.

Dawson College, the location of the shooting, has about 10,000 students and is part of the Quebecois CEGEP system (along the lines of community colleges in the states). The College is only about a ten minute walk from McGill, located on the edge of downtown Montreal.

To put this in a little more context. Shootings of any kind are very uncommon in Canada. They happen so rarely that people can recount a particular incident and most people will know of the incident being discussed. It is extremely difficult to get a gun permit of any kind in Canada and guns are not legally allowed across Canadian borders. The presence of a semi-automatic is shocking for people here. Montreal is thought of as a place where these sorts of things simply don't happen.

From what I know, there have not been any reports so far as to reasons for the attack.

Lots of Love to all of you.
Elaine