14-year-old girl charged with attempted murder after allegedly setting classmate on fire at Sask. high school

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.

The 14-year-old girl accused of setting fire to a 15-year-old classmate at Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and arson.

The accused, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, cried during her brief appearance in Saskatoon Provincial Court Friday morning. Judge Doug Agnew ordered her to appear in person so he could see the youth, who was wearing a hoodie, before remanding her in custody until her next appearance on Sept. 11.

Several family members of the accused were also present in the courtroom. They remained silent during the brief hearing and declined to speak to CBC News.

The victim was taken to hospital after an attack on Thursday afternoon and is believed to be in serious condition, Saskatoon Police (SPS) said in a press release on Friday. The investigation is ongoing.

On Friday, signs in support of the victim and the Evan Hardy community, as well as dozens of bouquets of flowers, were placed outside the high school.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority declined to comment on the condition of the student or teacher in an email to CBC News on Friday, citing patient and family confidentiality.

The 15-year-old victim's aunt cried throughout Friday's court hearing while sitting next to the victim's older cousin, who attends another high school in the city. Both of the victim's relatives also declined to speak to CBC News.

Students at Evan Hardy were sent home after the attack and classes on Friday were canceled, although the school was open to offer counseling services to students and staff. Principal Karen Peterson said in a letter to families Friday that those services would continue on Monday and classes would resume on Tuesday.

Shane Skjerven, director of education for Saskatoon Public Schools, said Friday the past 24 hours have been extremely difficult for the school and thanked emergency services who responded to the incident.

“We recognize the seriousness of this incident and understand the strong emotions it has generated throughout the school community and our community,” he told reporters Friday. “The safety and well-being of our students, staff and families remains our top priority.”

Student witnesses “scared and shocked”

Sophie Hubbard, a ninth-grader, said she and her friend Lexxi Sparvier were leaving social studies class on Thursday when the incident occurred. Hubbard said she saw a girl pour liquid from a black container over another girl and raise a hand toward the other girl's head. She then saw the burning victim in the hallway. Neither student saw what started the fire.

“I only paused for five seconds and then screamed 'Fire!' and ran out with Sophie,” Sparvier told reporters in the schoolyard on Friday. “I'm still shaking a little bit.”

Teachers shouted at the victim to roll on the floor to put out the fire and used fire extinguishers as the flames spread to part of a nearby wall, the two students said. The fire alarm also went off, they added.

“I couldn’t believe it was real,” Hubbard said.

Sparvier said that once she was outside, she reached into her bag for her phone and dialed 911.

“Before they even spoke, I said, 'Come see Evan Hardy,'” she said.

The two students said the defendant ran away after the incident and the teachers chased her. They later saw police escort the defendant out of the school with a towel over her head and handcuff her to a police vehicle. She appeared to resist as police tried to put her in the car.

Sparvier's mother, Cassie Roberts, said her daughter is normally shy and introverted, so she was “so proud” to hear how Sparvier responded so quickly and helped.

“I told her that what she did was absolutely amazing and brave,” Roberts said. “She kept her composure. … She was not intimidated by pressure and knew exactly what to do.”

Roberts said the priority now is to help her daughter process the trauma the incident caused.

Hubbard and Sparvier said they did not know the victim or the defendant and the incident left them “frightened and shocked.”

WATCH | Witnesses describe suspected arson attack at Saskatoon high school:

Witnesses describe suspected arson attack on high school in Saskatoon

A 15-year-old girl was hospitalized with serious injuries after a 14-year-old girl allegedly set her on fire at Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon on Thursday. Lexxi Sparvier and Sophie Hubbard are Grade 9 students at Evan Hardy and witnessed some of the events. They spoke to the media on Friday.

Sparvier said she doesn't know when she will feel safe returning to school. Both she and Hubbard expressed concern for the victim.

“She doesn’t deserve this,” Hubbard said.

Psychiatrist: Students’ sense of security probably shaken

Saskatoon-based child psychiatrist Dr. Sara Dungavell says incidents like this can shatter students' sense of safety at school and in the world, but the impact could be far more damaging for teens who have had traumatic experiences at home or negative experiences at school.

“It just reinforces the idea that school is not a safe place and that it can be really scary for the kids,” she told CBC's Saskatoon Morning Friday. “Some of them may be deprived of the only place where they felt safe and they will need additional support.”

She advised parents and guardians to check in with their teens and provide a space for them to process their feelings. That might mean offering a listening ear, simply spending time together, or arranging time with friends or another trusted adult.

“Many teens don't want to talk to their parents about things, but they want to know that they are loved and that their emotional security is important,” says Dungavell, noting that parents should watch for signs of stress in their teens that last longer than a few weeks.

Parents should also pay attention to their own feelings because the incident could cause them to feel sad because they do not want a safe world for their children, she said.

“We trust schools to keep our children safe. It will affect us just as it can affect our children,” Dungavell said.

Robinson Zapshalla, a Briton, said her son had just started 9th grade at Evan Hardy, and although the transition to high school was “shattering,” she was grateful he did not witness the attack.

She said she tried to focus on all the helpers who responded to the situation as her son asked new questions, and the school's response and counseling resources helped her reassure him about his return to school.

WATCH HERE: Police say teenage girl set classmate on fire at Saskatoon high school:

Saskatoon Police: Teen set on fire by another girl at Evan Hardy Collegiate

Sergeant Ken Kane spoke at a news conference about a suspected arson attack that sent a 15-year-old girl to hospital and shut down Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon on Thursday afternoon. A 14-year-old girl is in custody.

“I feel like it might be even safer, if that makes sense, because people will look for signs and pay more attention to the children and their emotional state,” said Robinson Zapshalla, a former reporter with CBC News. Blue sky on Friday. “That might give me a little hope.”

“Challenging times”

Samantha Becotte, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF), said these are “difficult times” for all educators in the province.

“It's really sad to see such horrific incidents in our schools and we just wish them all the best and hope that everyone recovers and everyone affected gets the support they need,” she said in an interview on Friday.

For privacy reasons, Becotte declined to comment on the condition of each of the teachers involved. He said it was too early to say whether anything could have been done differently to prevent the incident.

“Ultimately, we should all go to school in a safe environment and such incidents should be prevented,” she said.

Anyone needing mental health support in Saskatoon can call 306-655-7777 or HealthLine at 811.