École Polytechnique Massacre (1989)
Wed Dec 06, 1989
The École Polytechnique Massacre was an anti-feminist mass shooting that killed 14 women at the École Polytechnique engineering school in Montreal on this day in 1989.
Claiming he was “fighting feminism”, the shooter entered a mechanical engineering class at the school and ordered the women and men to opposite sides of the classroom. He instructed the men to leave and shot the remaining women. After this, the shooter walked throughout the school, targeting women for another 20 minutes before committing suicide. Fourteen women were killed, ten women and four men were injured.
The event was the most deadly mass shooting in Canada’s history at the time, and led to more stringent gun control laws as well as changes in the tactical response of police to mass shootings.
- Date: 1989-12-06
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
- Tags: #Massacre.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org
One of the things about that shooting that really stuck with me was one of the survivors confusedly asking why he hadn’t just come and asked for help studying to get into the program.
This makes me feel like someone punched me in the stomach. I cannot.
Denis Villeneuve made a movie about the event in 2009, never before had I left a theater with everyone walking in complete silence except for a couple of people sobbing…
The film is called Polytechnique
Masterfully made film. Couldn’t really say I enjoyed watching it but it was certainly an experience.
Imagine walking out of there and leaving your female classmates behind with a dude with guns.
Not so hard when death is the other choice.
You’d probably be a coward too.
Even without passing judgement, it’s a hell of a thing.
