A 19-year-old student who was fatally stabbed inside an Etobicoke high school earlier Tuesday afternoon is being remembered as a “very nice and kind young man” who was “focused on his family and his future.”
Hamid Aminzada was stabbed multiple times in the front hallway of North Albion Collegiate Institute on Kipling Avenue north of Finch Avenue at around 12:40 p.m.
Aminzada was without vital signs at the scene but was revived by first responders and taken to hospital via emergency run. He then succumbed to his injuries some time later.
The school was placed under a lockdown as police searched the building for a suspect; however students were eventually dismissed after that search proved fruitless.
The suspect is described as black, about 17 years-old with a medium build and a medium height. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt.
“This is heartbreaking for us because all we have seen from him (Aminzada) was just being respectful,” Principal Naeem Siddiq told reporters late Tuesday afternoon. “There is no indication of this young man being involved in anything negative. It is just a tragic story for us.”
Aminzada had been enrolled in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at North Albion Collegiate Institute after immigrating to Canada about two years ago and was doing “quite well,” according to Siddiq.
Speaking with reporters, Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said a motive for the attack remains unknown.
“We have no idea what caused this to occur but obviously whatever it was escalated very quickly,” he said. “Part of our investigation will be to determine whether there was a pre-existing history between these two, but we just don’t know right now.”
Browne said that police are “confident” that they know who they are looking for and are “getting very good assistance” from students that witnessed the attack.
“The reality is that in a building such as this it would be quite rare that people wouldn’t know who is involved, so the most important thing for him to do is to contact us and turn himself in,” he said.
In a statement Toronto District School Board Director of Education Donna Quan said her thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.
"This is a sombre day for the entire TDSB community, especially the students and staff at North Albion, as we mourn the tragic loss of this young life," she wrote. "Our focus is now on supporting our students, parents and guardians, and staff through this difficult time."
Classes are expected to resume as scheduled at North Albion Collegiate Institute tomorrow, provided that police have concluded their investigation in the building.
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