146 Brampton High School Shootings

BRAMPTON, ONTARIO

In 1975, a 16-year-old walked into his high school carrying two rifles in a black guitar case. This is the story of the first ever mass shooting at a secondary school in Canada, and how it spurred changes to Canadian firearms laws.

* Correction notice - descriptive detail related to firearm:

In this episode, the Marlin .444 lever-action rifle was described in part as “military-style”, a phrase that originated from the news archives in relation to this case. Some listeners familiar with firearms have reached out to let us know that lever-action rifles haven’t been used by any modern military, and we now understand that this particular error is perceived as an important distinction, loaded with political meaning that a layperson likely isn’t aware of.

The reason we included descriptions of the firearms is to show how they impacted the victims and survivors of the shooting, and while we make every effort to fact-check the primary details of every case we cover, minor errors can sometimes occur, and we do apologize for this.

That said, we've determined that removal of that specific detail makes little to no difference to the facts of the case from the perspective of victims and survivors - it remains a powerful firearm that caused catastrophic injury, military-style or not. To minimize further complaints, we are editing the episode as follows:
“It’s a powerful military style firearm recommended for hunting large game like deer and moose. The .444 is known for its knockdown power”.

Thanks for understanding!

More info:

• 1975 SCHOOL SHOOTING: "There were not words to describe this sort of thing..."

• A TRAGEDY’S LONG SHADOW - PressReader  

• Brampton Centennial has built a memorial to help the 1975 school shooting survivors heal | CBC News 

Podcast recommendation:

Severed Affair: The Gruesome Murder of Shad Thyrion, a Law&Crime Original podcast

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Credits:

Research, writing, sound design, narration: Kristi Lee
Audio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams
Production assistance: Jesse Hawke
Script consulting: Carol Weinberg
Disclaimer voiced by Erik Krosby

Music credits:

Theme songs (intro & outro) by We Talk of Dreams
Additional music: Blue Dot Sessions, Epidemic Sound 

RESOURCES AND INFORMATION SOURCES

Online sources

POLICE REPORT 

• Police Reports 1975 Shooting | PDF

WITNESS STATEMENTS

• Witness Statements 1975 Shooting PDF 

TORONTO STAR

• 40th Anniversary article: Brampton Centennial students still haunted by shooting rampage 40 years on

BRAMPTON GUARDIAN

• 40th Anniversary article: 1975 SCHOOL SHOOTING: Brampton tragedy sparked calls for changes to Canada's gun laws (bramptonguardian.com)

Inquest 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/460154719/?terms=Michael%20Slobodian&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728634875/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728635031/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/460156568/?terms=brampton%20centennial%20secondary%20school%20inquest%20inquiry&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728624676/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728631501/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/733789917/?terms=%22brampton%20centennial%20secondary%22&match=1 

Violent media and violence

• How Violent Media Can Impact Your Mental Health

• The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research - PMC

• Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries: A meta-analytic review. 

• Violence in the Media: What Effects on Behavior? 

Memorial

• Brampton Centennial has built a memorial to help the 1975 school shooting survivors heal | CBC News 

• A TRAGEDY’S LONG SHADOW - PressReader

• Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is being eliminated as of September 30, 2019 | HALCO

1975 Ottawa School Shooting

• St. Pius X shooting survivor reflects on Newtown killings | Ottawa Sun

• St. Pius X High School shooting - Wikipedia

Sources from Proquest:

• Special to The Globe,and Mail. (1975, May 30). Psychological tests, demanded by teacher. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/psychological-tests-demanded-teacher/docview/1239615848/se-2  

• The list of dead and injured: DEAD. (1975, May 29). The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/list-dead-injured/docview/1239710168/se-2 

• RUDY PLATIEL Globe and,Mail Reporter. (1975, Jun 24). Inquest jury is given few details of motive for brampton killings. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/inquest-jury-is-given-few-details-motive-brampton/docview/1239743135/se-2 

• Two voices worth heeding. (1975, Jun 27). The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/two-voices-worth-heeding/docview/1239633011/se-2 

• INSIDE METRO: VICTIM OF SHOOTING HAS 2ND OPERATION. (1975, Jun 07). The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/inside-metro/docview/1314048440/se-2  

• Special to The Globe,and Mail. (1975, Jun 03). Jumpy parents in brampton surrender guns. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/jumpy-parents-brampton-surrender-guns/docview/1239615031/se-2 

• RUDY PLATIEL The Globe,and Mail. (1994, Oct 21). Weapons, assaults on the rise: BACKGROUND school violence. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/weapons-assaults-on-rise/docview/1142641997/se-2 

• Teacher shot by brampton youth, husband is awarded $200 monthly. (1976, Sep 17). The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/teacher-shot-brampton-youth-husband-is-awarded/docview/1239423378/se-2 

• MacDonald, G. (2011, Mar 12). Scott thompson: Graphic novelist. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/scott-thompson-graphic-novelist/docview/1513393755/se-2 

• PLATIEL, R. (1976, Feb 02). Little response to ottawa jury findings: Few changes in wake of school shootings. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/little-response-ottawa-jury-findings/docview/1239357675/se-2  

• JOHN BEAUFOY Globe and Mail Reporter. (1975, May 29). 'Fed up with life,' youth wrote he planned to eliminate some people. The Globe and Mail (1936-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/fed-up-with-life-youth-wrote-he-planned-eliminate/docview/1239615393/se-2 

Newspaper.com archives

• Pat Slinger gave aid 

• Fed up with life’ - student kills three

• Why did he do it?

• Tragic mystery - note found in his room

• Fed up youth

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728621865/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/48545815/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1 

• Margaret Wright Funeral 

• Sister Dona, 18 talks 

• Victims and families speak out on injuries, gun control 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/459574122/?terms=Michael%20Slobodian&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/728627375/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/495554503/?terms=%22michael%20slobodian%22%20grandfather&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/731049991/?terms=%22laurence%20young%22%20&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/482610289/?terms=%22Richard%20shadrach%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/731873910/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1   

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/731871700/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/731992622/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/463346826/?terms=%22brampton%20centennial%20secondary%22%20school&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/732089107/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/732087049/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/459393544/?terms=brampton%20centennial%20secondary%20school%20inquest%20&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/732143777/?terms=%22Michael%20Slobodian%22&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/459638278/?terms=brampton%20centennial%20secondary%20school%20inquest%20&match=1 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/459638291/?terms=brampton%20centennial%20secondary%20school%20inquest%20

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/726017103/?terms=%20Ernie%20Nicholls&match=1 

More info on school shootings:

• School shooting - Wikipedia (see Canadian section)

• A list of some past Canadian school shootings | Globalnews.ca 

• Deadly school shootings in Canada | CBC News 

• 1884 Markdale School Shooting, Ontario: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/132566750/ 

• 1902 Frontenac School Shooting, Kingston, Ontario https://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=nUouAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tX4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6854,2114367&dq=school+tragedy&hl=en 

• 1902 Altona School Shooting, Alberta: https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-alberta-news-altona-school-shoo/132566865/ 

• 1959 Ross Sheppard High School Shooting, Alberta:  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-ross-sheppard-high-sch/132567991/ 

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/726017103/?terms=%22ernie%20nicholls%22%20brampton&match=1

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/946388955/?terms=%22Peter%20Slobodian%22%20%20&match=1