An Ontario high school student is mourning the loss of friends and former classmates massacred in a Pakistani school he once attended.

Muhammad Khan, a high school student in Guelph, Ont., attended Army Public School in the northwestern city of Peshawar as recently as 2012.

Last week, Taliban fighters entered the school and opened fire, killing 148 students and staff.

Khan, now a Canadian citizen, said he and his family were in shock when they learned about the horrific massacre.

“We had no words,” Khan said in an interview with CTV Kitchener. “We couldn’t even sleep, we couldn’t even talk with each other.”

The student says he knew nearly all of those killed in the attack, including the school principal.

“I knew them very well,” Khan said. “I would be dead (by) now if I was in their school.”

Khan last saw his friends this past summer, when he visited Pakistan.

As the country continues to mourn the devastating loss, authorities in Pakistan announced several arrests in the investigation. However, they would not say how many people were arrested, or reveal the suspects’ identities.

The militant organization known as the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

Although Khan is mourning the loss of those close to him, he says he doesn’t want students in Pakistan to “hate” education.

“I just want them to get an education, and proudly, they can say we went to this school,” he said.

In an effort to rebuild the school, Khan is accepting donations through his current school, St. James High School in Guelph.

Since the attack, vigils have been held worldwide to honour the slain victims, most of whom were children.

With a report by CTV Kitchener’s Alexandra Pinto