A 14-year-old girl set a 15-year-old girl on fire at a Saskatoon high school: police

A 15-year-old girl was set on fire by a fellow student at Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon on Thursday, according to police.

“The suspect we have in custody set the other victim on fire,” Saskatoon Police Service Sergeant Ken Kane told reporters at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred around noon on Thursday.

Teachers helped extinguish the fire, Kane said. The 15-year-old victim was taken to hospital. He is believed to have suffered serious injuries. A teacher was also taken to hospital.

Kane said the victim’s parents are with her, but there was no update on her condition.

After the incident, a school resource officer (SRO) who was already on scene for a separate matter immediately arrested a 14-year-old female suspect. Other police, fire and ambulance crews arrived shortly afterward, Kane said.

SROs will continue to work closely with school board officials as the investigation continues.

Kane said the suspect remains in custody and it is unclear what charges might be filed or when that might happen.

“This investigation is obviously at a very early stage and ongoing,” he said.

He said police are working with the school division to share information and “ensure staff and students are taken care of.”

Kane said it’s also been difficult for the officer and others who responded.

“The mood in our office is quite low,” he said. “This is something we never expected.”

On Thursday afternoon, Evan Hardy Collegiate sent a letter to parents saying there would be no classes on Friday and a scheduled football game was canceled. Students will be able to pick up their belongings and officials hope to resume regular classes as soon as possible, the letter says.

“At school, we will continue to provide a safe, supportive and compassionate learning environment. When classes resume, we will maintain daily schedules and routines as much as possible as this provides a sense of safety, security and comfort. We will also have additional counseling support in place at school to respond to students’ needs,” the statement read.