Full Breakdown
Sword Attack at Neelin High School: Court Proceedings Begin
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On June 10, 2025, a 17-year-old student entered Neelin High School in Brandon, Manitoba, wearing a black trench coat, black pants and a “plague” mask. He concealed a sword and a steak-knife, put on the mask in a washroom, and moved into the east hallway. There he encountered a 15-year-old Grade 10 student who complimented his costume. The accused drew the sword and stabbed the victim multiple times in the shoulder, chest, abdomen, thigh and arm; the victim’s attempt to grab the weapon severed a finger and caused additional lacerations.
The assailant then chased principal Baseswa Nundu into a classroom, stabbed a nearby glass window, and continued down the hallway, asking a group of students whether any Black students were present. After receiving a negative response, he left the hallway. Police arrived within seven minutes, used two Tasers, and took the teen into custody after he repeatedly asked officers to shoot him in the head.
The victim required extensive surgery for a severed fingertip and multiple lacerations. The accused faces nine charges, including three counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, wearing a disguise with intent, and two counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing held on the same day as the attack.
Background & Context
Court-provided “agreed statement of facts” shows the teen had been planning the attack for months. Notebook entries from mid-2022 repeatedly referred to Black and Muslim immigrants as “invaders” and praised Nazi ideology. A February 2022 entry expressed a desire to “spree kill” Muslims with a gun, and twelve days before the attack he wrote a “mass murder” suicide plan.
In a videotaped police interview, the accused said he wanted to “go out with a bang” and hoped to receive praise from “certain people.” He cited the 2015 Trollhättan, Sweden, attack by Anton Lundin Pettersson as inspiration.
Timeline
- June 10, 2025 – Sword attack; victim injured; teen pleads not guilty to nine charges.
- June 11, 2025 – Police search the accused’s home, seizing a black notebook, loose papers, a tablet and cardboard replicas of weapons.
Data & Statistics
- Charges: 9 (including 3 attempted murder).
- Victim injuries: severed fingertip, lacerations to both hands, shoulder, chest, abdomen, thigh, forearm.
- School enrollment: approximately 380 students (grades 9-12).
Official Statements & Responses
Crown prosecutor Hugh Crawley described the notebook and phone contents as evidence of a white-nationalist motive and a pre-meditated plan. Police reported the teen claimed intoxication to every officer, though no signs of impairment were observed.
Principal Baseswa Nundu initially thought the victim’s reaction was a joke, but after being chased he locked a classroom door and called 911, initiating a school lockdown.
Law enforcement noted that nearly the entire Brandon police service was dispatched to the school, arriving within seven minutes of the incident.
On-the-Ground Reports
Witnesses recounted the victim’s brief conversation with the assailant before being stabbed. A teacher intervened when the teen pursued another student, preventing further injury. The lockdown left hallways largely empty by the time police entered.
What’s Next
The accused remains in custody. The trial is scheduled to resume in June 2027, when video footage from the school’s interior cameras and the seized digital evidence are expected to be presented.
*All information is drawn from court-provided statements, police reports and media summaries of the agreed statement of facts.*