Father of brutally beaten teen urges community to put an end to violence

The father of a Spruce Grove teen who was beaten, stabbed, robbed and hospitalized in a brutal attack two weeks ago is calling for action to stop violence in the community.

Guy Quenneville organized a rally outside Stony Plain provincial court on Friday morning as one of his son’s alleged assailants — a 14-year-old whose identity cannot be disclosed — arrived for a first court appearance.

Quenneville said the level of outrage online following the case was “unreal,” but he wanted to take a more public stance.

“Let’s do something where we can actually achieve a goal, and today’s goal was to raise awareness about violence in our community,” he said.

“I also wanted to give some ideas about what we needed to do in order to deal with violence.”

On the evening of Oct. 27, Quenneville said his son Liam, 16, was lured to a Spruce Grove schoolyard, where he was attacked and his cellphone was stolen.

The bloodied teen then struggled back to his home, which took him about 10 minutes.

His father called 911.

Liam was released from the hospital two days later.

The rally drew a crowd of 18, some carrying signs and chanting, “Stop the violence.”

Quenneville used to work for Children and Youth Services at the Government of Alberta in Spruce Grove.

He left the job in 2015 and now works in Edmonton.

“Crime in its most basic level is a failure to meet your individual needs or meet the needs of your family,” Quenneville said.

“What’s unique about where we live, the problem is that the transportation to services, or anything really, that would fill those needs, often it’s in Edmonton.

“But what do you do if you don’t drive?”

He says often, people looking for help have just been handed a brochure with services available in Edmonton.

“If we just sit back and no one says anything then it’s going to keep happening,” said Todd Grodecki, a neighbour of the Quennevilles who was at the rally.

Vincent Whitford, 19, of Edmonton, and Jonathon Dixon, 19, of Alberta Beach, are facing weapons-related charges and uttering threats.

They are to appear in Stony Plain court Nov. 21.

Crime in its most basic level is a failure to meet your individual needs or meet the needs of your family.