The Best of What's Around

I am sure that most of you have all ready heard about the horrible event that occurred in Montréal today. At Dawson College, a CEGEP here in Montréal, there was a gunman who went in and started firing. It is currently unknown the exact number of people shot, but about 12 shot, 8 critical is the current number. Also, the killer was shot by police. For those of you who don't know, a CEGEP is a school you go to after high school and before university, so most of the students there are 17-22 years old. This all started to go down at around 12:45 today.

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/09/13/shots-dawson.html

It is really sad and the city has been in chaos since the shootings started.

I work in the Montréal's Children's Hospital. This is 0.8 km away from the school where the shootings took place.

So at 12:30, my friend Karine and I go across to the shopping mall and by the time we exit at 12:55, it is crazy outside. I didn't know what was going on and based on the police presence, just figured that there was a big accident. We go into the hospital and we find out about the shooting.
All of a sudden, over the loud speaker " Code Orange, level 2. All staff, patients and families must not leave the hospital until further notice". Apparently code orange means that there is an external disaster. At this time it was believed that there were three gun man and two were still on the loose and they could be anywhere. The hospital was very tense because it occurred just down the street and a lot of the staff have kids that go to the school . Cell phones were not working because there was just too many calls trying to get through.

Finally, around 4, they lifted the "Code Orange" and we could leave the hospital. You would think that the day couldn't get more ridiculous than that. I mean, it is my second week in school and I am all ready being locked down in a hospital. Oh, but wait....there is more.

The metro's are still shut down when I am leaving so after some time of trying to figure out what to do, Karine and I find a bus and get on it. Because the metro line that I would normally take is shut down so that the police can search the tunnels, the bus is packed. So I am standing, much like a sardine would stand in a can, when all of a sudden I hear an "air noise", much like an aerosol can. Then there is a smell....then there is the eye burning...and the throat hurting...and the coughing....and the panic.

My best guess is that someone released pepper spray on the very crowded, stressed-out bus. This was the scariest thing to happen to me all day. The shootings had put me on edge, and then an unknown substance is sprayed on the bus. People started screaming at the driver to stop the bus. I got out and decided that walking home would be the best thing I could do.

So, craziness in Montréal. Just another reason for Jeff not to like it :(

Rach

"Oh, people killing people, kings to conquer kings. Always in the seeker, taking the light away from me"- DMB

Labels: 2006, GC girls, Montreal, rachel