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Two decades after school shooting, survivor now serves as a police officer in Montreal
Santos says survivor’s guilt and gratitude to officers pushed him into policing after the attack killed 1 student and wounded 16 others.
On Friday, Montreal residents and survivors including James Santos gathered to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Dawson College shooting, which killed one person and wounded 19 others on September 13, 2006.
A gunman entered Dawson College two decades ago, killing 18-year-old Anastasia De Sousa and injuring 16 others; the tragedy permanently altered the lives of students present that day, including Santos.
Santos spent years addressing his trauma through therapy and setting small goals, such as watching action movies, to process the event; he eventually learned to view the memories from a third-person perspective.
After working in a town outside Montreal, Santos joined the Montreal Police in 2018, fulfilling his desire to serve the force he credited with saving his life and giving back to the community.
During the commemoration at the school's Peace Garden, Louise De Sousa urged the federal government to tighten gun control laws, while loved ones honored the cheerful character of her daughter, Anastasia.