15-year-old arrested in connection with Shippagan boy's death
CBC
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after an assault in Shippagan that allegedly led to the death of an 11-year-old boy.
Police said Thomas Haché was struck in the face with a kick scooter on Thursday.
He was later taken to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax with a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain and died in hospital on Saturday.
New Brunswick RCMP have been investigating, and Cpl. Hans Ouellette said a 15-year-old was arrested Monday.
Ouellette said the teenager is expected to be released from custody, and a court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Bathurst provincial court.
"The New Brunswick RCMP major crime unit is continuing with this investigation, and that is ongoing in this matter," said Ouellette.
Vicky Haché, a community co-ordinator for young people aged 13 to 16 on the Acadian Peninsula and a member of the École L'Envolée parents committee, told Radio-Canada in French that the emotion in the community since the tragedy is "more than palpable."
She is also a mother of an 11-year-old boy and said children in the community need to be supported.
"A child at that age does not necessarily have the capacity to understand," she said.
Rev. Serge Comeau, the parish priest at Saint-André Parish, said it is hard to find the right words to console and support the local children.
But despite the pain, he said, he's been moved by the solidarity and kindness being shown in the community.
Thomas Haché's cousin, Guy Haché, asked Monday that the community be there for the family.
He said Haché always had a big smile on his face and is known for always bringing joy to others.
He said the family is making funeral preparations.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.