Teacher shot in La Loche school recalls Randan Fontaine drawing up plans for mass shooting

Shooting victim closer to closure From CTV Saskatoon’s Laura Woodward: For the first time, CTV News can report the name of the La Loche shooter.

SASKATOON — La Loche school shooting survivor Charlene Klyne is one step closer to getting closure, after the Supreme Court of Canada rejected the shooter’s sentencing appeal.

“I’m glad it’s the end, finally,” Klyne told CTV News.

The court’s decision means the now 22-year-old will continue to be sentenced as an adult, and now media can now report the shooter’s name — Randan Fontaine.

Fontaine pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced as an adult in May 2018 with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Last year, Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal denied Fontaine's request to be sentenced as a youth.

Fontaine was two weeks shy of turning 18 when he killed two brothers in La Loche and opened fire at his school.

He killed a teacher, an aide and wounded several others — including Klyne.

The substitute teacher was shot in the face at her desk on Jan. 22, 2016.

She lost her eyesight and has limited mobility in her neck because she has pellets on her spine. She also has pellets in the lining of her heart, and lungs.

Klyne believes Fontaine drew up the plans for the mass shooting in her Grade 10 English class.

“He was sitting with a notebook, and I said, ‘Do you need help with that?’ And he said, ‘Nope.’ I found out later, what he was doing was making his plans on how to go about doing a mass shooting in a school,” Klyne said.

Who is Randan Fontaine? 

Klyne said Fontaine rarely went to school and was unproductive during the times he did attend.

“He would sit around for 10 minutes, fold up his books, get up and walk out. I’d say, ‘Randan, are you coming back?’ And he’d just shrug his shoulders,” Klyne said.

Aaron Fox, Fontaine’s lawyer, said his client was in Grade 10 for the third year. He said Fontaine operated at a low cognitive level, suffered from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and psychological issues.

The defence lawyer said Fontaine “slipped through the cracks.”

“This was an individual who needed help in a number of areas, and it just wasn’t there and available for him. It wasn’t his family’s fault, teachers or school's fault, the resources just weren’t there to deal with this youth’s problems,” Fox said.

Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal rejected Fontaine’s bid last year to be sentenced as a youth, prompting him to ask the Supreme Court to revisit the ruling.

Fox said he was disappointed the last avenue of appeal was rejected.