Student who died after school stabbing praised as ‘kind kid;’ teen charged

TORONTO – A 19-year-old student who died after being stabbed at a Toronto high school was praised Wednesday as “a gentleman and a kind kid” as authorities tried to assure the public that the city’s schools were safe.

Hamid Aminzada died in hospital Tuesday after he was stabbed while trying to defuse a fight at North Albion Collegiate Institute.

“The victim is nothing but a gentleman and a kind kid … and has no history of other than being supportive of students and staff,” principal Naeem Siddiq said.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is facing a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing.

Police have alleged there was an ongoing dispute between two students, which led to a confrontation in a school hallway. They said Aminzada intervened and was stabbed.

Siddiq refused to comment on whether any of the other students involved in the altercation had a history of violent behaviour.

“We are a family that is going to get through this together,” he added.

Donna Quan, director of education for the Toronto District School Board, said she believes the stabbing was an isolated incident.

“We do no have this happening in our schools each day or often,” she said. “In general our schools are very, very welcoming, very, very caring.”

Quan also said current safety measures, including video surveillance systems, are sufficient and there are no plans to have metal detectors installed at schools in the wake of the tragedy.

“Metal detectors are not the answer. We don’t want to create fortresses,” she said Wednesday.

When asked how a student managed to bring a knife into the school, Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner said the incident could have happened anywhere.

“Because this happened in a school it’s obviously very, very tragic but the reality is those type of weapons could be secreted on anyone, anywhere.”

Aminzada and his family came to Canada from Afghanistan about two years ago.

His traumatized father said through a translator Wednesday that he lost his son “in a very safe environment in a very safe place.”