By Bryan Eneas

Survivor of La Loche shooting echoes feelings of abandonment

Jan 13, 2017 | 4:30 PM

One year after the tragic school shooting in La Loche, one of the seven people wounded in the incident is reflecting on the incident and speaking out about her ongoing needs.

On Jan. 22, 2016 a lone gunman walked in the Dene Community School in La Loche and opened fire, killing two and wounding seven more after killing two teenagers at a separate location.

Charlene Klyne was shot in the face, neck and chest by the 17-year-old shooter who cannot be named due to provisions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Klyne said she agrees with the sentiment raised by acting principal Greg Hatch during a press conference earlier this week. He said the community has been abandoned by the people and systems designed to help them.

While the community received support for one month after the incident, Klyne said she’s felt abandoned from the get go.

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“That’s how I’ve been since day one,” Klyne said. “No one comes and sees us… initially until earlier this week I hadn’t had any contact with Northern Lights [School Division] besides friends we had made over the years.”

Klyne once called La Loche home, and expressed she was sad she can’t return to the community due to the lack of medical services she requires.

Attending medical appointments, while necessary, have made things challenging for Klyne. She said her husband and son work together to help her out as much as they can.

Klyne said her husband is only making 30 per cent of his regular earnings on salary continuance, due to the time he’s had to commit to helping her.

Because of the severity of the gunshot wound, Klyne said she has retained around five per cent of her vision in her right eye, while her left eye is completely blind. She described her vision as “black and white” or “shadows.”

Doctors told Klyne she will never fully see again. She asked her doctor to monitor any possible developments in eye transplants, hoping one day a new procedure will allow her to see again.

Beyond the physical injuries is the emotional trauma. She said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of the school shooting.

“Because I was shot through a door… anytime there’s construction and I hear that wood ripping sound, I shake,” Klyne said. “I have a lot of issues with that kind of thing.”

She said there are a variety of sounds which can set her off into similar incidents. As part of her weekly appointments, Klyne said she is speaking with someone to address her PTSD.

In September, Klyne hosted a press conference to provide an update on her situation. At the time, she was receiving $360 bi-weekly from the Workers Compensation Board, a total which has not changed four months later.

Klyne said she will be spending Jan. 22, the anniversary of the shootings, at her house in Saskatoon with her family. She said it will be a very quiet day, where she will more than likely shed some tears for the other victims of the tragedy.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas