The sounds of children can be heard once again at the Racine de Vie Montessori school in Gatineau.
It’s a stark contrast from three weeks ago when a gunman entered the Gamelin St. daycare with a shotgun, killing an employee before turning it on himself.
“It can be very emotional actually to see all these people and see how they’re dealing with this,” says parent Neils Aschengreen.
Gatineau police say there were 53 children at the daycare during the time of the shooting. The shooter was Robert Charron, 49, the estranged husband of the daycare’s director.
Charron entered the daycare on the morning of April 5, shooting Neil Galliou, 38, a French children’s artist and daycare employee.
Charron’s body was found in another part of the daycare, a shotgun next to his body.
At the time of the shooting, parents rushed to the scene unaware of exactly what happened. The children were being held at a neighbour’s home until they could be safely reunited with their parents.
“Just in a split second you get to the core of what life is all about,” says Aschengreen about the tragic day.
The daycare’s director and other staff have yet to return to work. The program is currently being run under the leadership of a new interim director.
With a report from CTV’s Natalie Pierosara.
