They gathered in tense silence, all wondering the same thing: how did things get this far?
That was the emotional atmosphere in a Brampton courtroom on Thursday, as the two brothers accused in a
shocking stabbing at St. Joseph Secondary School in Mississauga 24 hours earlier made their first appearance.
The parents of the suspects were there, openly crying in the courtroom. Their sons, ages just 16 and 17, are both charged with attempted murder in the brawl that left four students hurt and a teacher who tried to break it up with cuts to her hand.
The distraught pair weren't the only ones with tears in their eyes. A father named Jim is wondering what the future holds for his kids at the school, too. "We are a little worried about where we're going with this society," he relates, his voice choking. "Why are we in a society that ... [tries to] deal with a crisis with violence rather than with love?"
He's one of many upset about an exclusive video we first showed you on Wednesday that depicts a beating one of the suspects received on Monday. It's alleged the victims in the stabbing were the ones administering that punishment, an incident that may have sparked the bloody violence 48 hours later.
At least 20 students watched it happen, many recording it on their phones. It took place in a remote area, out of sight of teachers and the school's security cameras. One who was there says he never even thought of trying to stop that attack. "Not really," one shrugs. "It's not my business, so why get into it?"
For Jim, it's a sad sign of the times that are just getting worse. "It's what's happening in our society, across the GTA," he laments. "Isolated cases at different schools."
The stabbing victims are all out of hospital but the two accused will remain in jail until Monday, when they'll be back in court - and the questions about 'why' will return with them.