‘Brave,’ ‘resilient’ teacher shot in 2016 La Loche school shooting has died from her injuries, family says

A teacher who was injured during a shooting at a school in La Loche, Sask., in 2016 has died. 

Charlene Klyne, 62, died unexpectedly at a Saskatoon hospital last Wednesday. Her family said it was due to complications from her injuries incurred in the shooting.

Jan. 22, 2016, was a living nightmare for both Klyne and her family.

That day a young man opened fire at the La Loche Dene High School where Klyne was working as a substitute teacher and her husband was working as vice-principal.

Klyne was in a classroom with one student and a tutor when the shooter turned his weapon on her. She suffered severe injuries that would impact the rest of her life.

“I thought … does it hurt to be dead?” Klyne told reporters back in 2016. “Then I realized I’m not dead. But man, this hurts. Like, my arm burned, my chest was burning, my neck, my face. And I couldn’t see.”

A teacher and a teacher’s aide died in the attack, and seven other people were wounded. Two brothers were also killed at a nearby home.

Randan Dakota Fontaine was convicted and given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Living with the injuries

Charlene’s son Jeffery Klyne said his mother lost all vision in her left eye after the attack and could only see dark shadows in her right eye. By the end of her life, she was nearly completely blind.

After the shooting, Charlene had shotgun pellets lodged in multiple spots from her jaw to her chest. The pellets affected her heart and breathing, and paralyzed her vocal chords, Jeffrey said.

“She passed away from asphyxiation due to the vocal cords. Myself, my father and my brother were by her bedside at the time of her passing,” Jeffery told CBC News on Friday.

Even though Charlene had been in the hospital, the death was a surprise to everyone.

“She was supposed to be getting treatment for the paralyzed vocal cord, which to my understanding would have stopped this from happening.”

Jeffery said he and his mother had a very close relationship.

“We did a lot together. She was always there.”

In the years since the shooting, Charlene publicly advocated for more money from Saskatchewan’s Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB), and was no stranger to the media. Her son said she had a difficult time getting money for surgeries and home renovations to help with her disabilities.

“I really wish she didn’t have to fight for everything that she got. I think that’s really something where we’re failing in this province and with the WCB,” Jeffery said.

Jeffery, who is also a teacher, said his mother loved when people visited her. This made the isolation of the pandemic particularly difficult for her. Before the shooting, Charlene also loved photography and cross-stitching. 

Jeffery said he treasures his mother’s bravery and was proud of her all the way to the end.

“I really think I’m gonna miss how resilient she was in the last seven years. I think that gave a lot of strength to all of us.”

Jeffery says he hopes Charlene’s legacy of self-advocacy changes how the WCB treats injured workers.

 

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