An educator in the daycare service of an elementary school in Terrebonne showed up armed with a knife on Monday with the avowed aim of killing a colleague on whom she was having a "fixation", according to the police.

Megan Petitclerc, 19, was charged with attempted murder, criminal harassment, carrying a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief Tuesday at the Laval courthouse. She remains detained and will have to undergo a psychological evaluation. She has no criminal history.

At the beginning of the week, the one who had recently worked as an educator in the daycare service was seen with a retractable knife in her hands while she was inside the Jean-De La Fontaine school, located on rue from the church. A fellow volunteer managed to convince her to go outside.

Confinement in the classrooms

During this time, a general message was made on the school intercoms in order to trigger the confinement protocol. All students and staff remained locked in various locked rooms until the threat was lifted.

Outside, Megan Petitclerc would have become “disorganized”, according to the authorities. In particular, she would have pierced the tires of a car which was nearby with her knife. She would then have continued on her way, on foot, to the neighboring street. It was there that the police intercepted him, around 10 a.m.

“She was very collaborative from start to finish with us,” said Captain Joel Lamarche, Terrebonne police spokesperson.

Confessions

The young woman would have indeed confessed during the interrogation, explaining that she had fomented a plan with the aim of stabbing her co-worker to death, according to the police. She would have told investigators that she would have made a “fixation” on her.

“However, the connection between them is unclear. They didn't really have any contact with each other. Have spoken to each other as colleagues a few times, but nothing more. There does not seem to be any conflict between them either,” added Captain Lamarche.

No student or other staff member was allegedly targeted by these threats, authorities confirm, although some may have seen the accused armed with her knife.

“The volunteer who convinced the accused to go outside spoke loud enough for the people around to understand and trigger the containment protocol, explains Captain Lamarche. If it hadn't been for his intervention, something much more serious could have happened."

The Affluents School Center, which manages the establishment, has deployed a support team to the school since Monday.

"Nothing in the background and actions of this person could let us predict this kind of situation," said Éric Ladouceur, communications coordinator at the School Center, who confirms both the dismissal of Megan Petitclerc.

Shaken, but reassured

The parents met by Le Journal near the school yesterday still seemed shaken by the police intervention.

Some of them say they thought of the bloody shootings that ravaged schools in our southern neighbours.

"With everything we heard in the United States, [...] I was afraid for my son," says Yassine, at the wheel, with her nine-year-old child in the back seat.

"That shouldn't happen in a school. It is not normal. Imagine if something happens to the children, ”raises Heidy Abreu, who came to pick up her two young boys.

However, all the parents seemed reassured by the school's communications.

"The word from the management was still comforting", as it indicated that the children were not targeted in this case, mentions Amélie, accompanied by her daughter, a sixth-grade student.