Students 'stressed' after serious attack outside Montreal high school

Students at a Montreal high school are still in shock a day after their classmate was sent to hospital in critical condition.

The boy, 16, was attacked by a group outside Calixa-Lavallée High School in Montreal North on Monday afternoon, leaving some students feeling unsafe.

"It's very, very sad," said one student, who asked not to be identified, and said he felt afraid to walk home the day of the attack. "I was thinking to myself, like, what do you gain out of (an attack like) that?"

The suspects, whose ages are unknown, have not been arrested – they fled on foot before officers arrived. The teen is in stable condition in hospital.

Police say the victim was injured by a blunt object, and CTV News sources suggest it was a hammer.

Police stepped up patrols in the neighbourhood on Tuesday and met with school students.

"Montreal police are taking many actions but also working with the school board management to reassure the students but also residents of the area," said Montreal police spokesperson Veronique Dubuc.

Along with investigators, there are support workers on site to help students process the event.

'STOP SEEING THEM AS ADULTS': PSYCHIATRIST 

Support is needed not just for victims, but for all children involved in violence, said psychiatrist Myrna Lashley.

"Their prefrontal cortex is nowhere near fully developed. They're still trying to figure out who they are," she said, adding that it's important to "stop seeing them as young adults and start seeing them as older kids."

Lashley said a culture of fear among young people could lead to more violence.

"They've got to learn better conflict resolution skills, or we're in danger of losing a good portion of this generation," she said.

The Pointe-De-L'ile Service Centre said it is collaborating with police by increasing surveillance.