Vandals set fire at Saddle Lake high school, trash band office

Two teens are in police custody in connection with a fire at Kihew Asiniy School and vandalism at the band office that occurred early Sunday morning in Saddle Lake.

According to an RCMP press release, three suspects broke into Kihew Asiniy and vandalized the school with baseball bats and fire extinguishers before setting fire to the stage in the gymnasium.

Students at the school were preparing for a graduation ceremony that was scheduled to take place this weekend. The suspects used the decorating material present to set the stage on fire, which resulted in the fire suppression system being activated, the release said.

About 30 minutes prior to the arson, police believe the suspects also broke into the Saddle Lake Band Office and vandalized the building by breaking windows and smashing computers, RCMP Const. John Spaans said.

A 15-year-old and 17-year-old have been identified as suspects and are now in police custody. RCMP members are still looking for the other 15-year-old suspect. The suspects are not regular students of the school, the release said.

Kihew Asiniy principal, Florence Quinn, said she has never seen so much damage before and both the students and faculty are devastated. School was canceled for two days and the graduation ceremony this Friday has been moved to Onchaminahos Elementary, Quinn said.

The school suffered extensive water damage, with damage estimates expected to be over $100,000, according to RCMP. Suspects face charges of arson, break and enter, and mischief over $5,000.

Spaans said police believe the crimes were an act of horseplay; RCMP are still investigating the incident.