Sword-attack victim vows to ‘heal and move forward’

BRANDON — Chinonso Onuke, the Grade 10 student at Neelin High School who was the victim of a stabbing on Tuesday, is recovering at home after undergoing major surgery in Winnipeg.

The 15-year-old, known to friends and family as Nonso, was attacked in the school by a fellow student wielding what Nonso described as a “big, ancient-looking sword.”

Speaking in his first interview since the incident, Nonso recounted the terrifying moments that unfolded in the school hallways.

“I had just left (a classroom) and was walking toward the office when I saw a guy in a weird costume. I asked his name, he responded, and I turned to leave,” he recalled.

“When I looked back, he pulled out the sword and first stabbed me in the abdomen. I fell over, and he slashes my leg, and I get back up. He stabbed me again, and I ended up grabbing the sword and pushing it away, running straight to the office.”

Other people were around, he said, but they were “frozen in shock.”

Nonso is focused on recovery and returning to school.

“There’s not much I can do now except heal and move forward,” he said, adding that school remains a priority once his health improves.

His father, pastor Onyebuchi Onuke, founder of Love in the City Ministries in Brandon, painted a picture of the family’s harrowing experience after the attack.

“I was told by the school that Nonso had been injured and rushed to the hospital. When I saw him, there was blood everywhere, doctors all around,” Onuke told the Brandon Sun.

Initially, doctors feared Nonso’s lung had collapsed and that his stomach and intestines were punctured.

“But after the scan, they said everything was intact. It felt like a miracle,” he said.

However, the deep cuts to his son’s shoulder, fingers and hand required complex surgery that lasted some hours in a Winnipeg hospital.

“The wounds were deep. Veins, blood vessels and nerves had to be repaired,” Onuke said. “Now he can’t use his hands and needs 24-hour care.”

Despite the trauma, the family has chosen a path of forgiveness.

“Our focus is on healing. We have chosen to forgive. If the suspect needs help, and there’s anything we can do, we’ll gladly provide it,” Onuke said.

The father said he appreciated the efforts of the school, principal Bas Nundu, Brandon School Division and the police.

“Neelin is a good school. The principal, the teachers and the students have been awesome. The police and EMS were incredible. They helped save my son’s life.”

The family’s commitment to forgiveness has brought them some peace amid the pain.

“The trauma is heavy, especially on Nonso’s twin brother, Chiemeka, who can’t return to school right now, and my wife, who can’t go to work for now. But the community has been supportive, and our faith has kept us going,” Onuke said.

The two brothers went to the school Friday to meet with friends and see the chalk messages of support from the community that have been written on the sidewalks around the school. Both of Nonso’s hands and his left arm were heavily bandaged during the visit.

Brandon has also rallied around the family, Onuke added. Residents, business owners such as Angie and James Chambers of Chez Angela Bakery and Café, and businesses such as Forbidden Flavours, Sobeys and Domino’s Pizza have contributed to fundraising efforts, he said.

“They made a special cake to raise funds. People have reached out to us through the school. Brandon has been wonderful.”

As Nonso continues to recover, the family remains focused on his full physical and emotional healing.

“We trust he’ll be healed and regain the use of his fingers,” his father said. “That’s what we’re praying for every day.”

— Brandon Sun