Mother of teen killed outside Hamilton high school calls stabbing a 'cowardly act'

In the moments before her son's death,Shari-Ann Selveysaid she tried again and again to pull Devanto safety but each time he was just out of reach.

She followed inher vehicle as a group of kids chased him and when his desperaterunfinally stopped behind his high school,Selvey says she triedone last time tohaul him into her vehicle before he was suddenly stabbed in the back.

Her arms, unable to reach Devan in time to save him,cradled her childas he died.

She held him,beggingthe 14-year-old to stay with her, but it was too late.

"It doesn't matter," said Selvey, tears running down her face. "No pleading, what so ever, would have brought him back."

Devanwas killed outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Oct. 7.

Two brothers, a 14-year-old and 18-year-old are charged with first-degree murder. Police allege the 14-year-old is the person who stabbed Devan.

Many details about what led up toattack remain unclear and there continue to be conflicts between the narrative from officials and what people who knew Devan say happened.

Both the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and police have confirmed they were notified of bullying incidents targetingDevan.Policealso say they're looking at bullying as part of their investigation.

The teen's deathsparked conversations around bullying in Hamilton and across Canada. Now, on November 7, Selvey is calling on parents from aroundthe province to keep their kids home from school in order to send a message.

"If we can get Ontario to stand up and say 'We've had enough, this is not going to happen to anymore of our children' maybe we can move things faster along."

Devan's death followed weeks oftorment, according to his mother, who said she and the parents of his friends were at the school "almost every day" to take their kids home early because they were being bullied.

Selvey says the harassment started on the second day of school when a group of about 10 kids tried to steal Devan's bike and a skateboardthat belonged to one of his friends. They escaped, but Selvey says later that night they were confronted again by the same pack of kids.

This time, Selvey says,Devan handed over his bike an $800 trick bike that was a giftfrom his cousin and loved to ride so his friends could get away.

But despite thatsacrifice, the trouble continued so much so that Devan'sattendance at school started to suffer.

"Every time there was a problem Devan would always call me," she said. "He knew I'd be there in a heartbeat. And that's what happened."

Police have repeatedly stated none of the people arrested in connection with the stabbing were involved in the bike theft, which was investigated, but no charges were laid.

Selvey and the parents of Devan's friends insist the same group of kids who were allegedly involved in the bike incident were the ones who bullied him.

On the day of the stabbing Selveysaid she and the mother of Brody, one of his best friends,were called to the school by their kids after their boys sent them a picture of another student she believes was suspended and not supposed to be on school property.

The parents spoke with a vice principal, according to Selvey, who told them the student wasn't on school grounds so there wasn't much he could do. Selveynoted the teen who she says was supposed to be suspended is not one of the two people charged in connection with her son's death.

It was just moments later, Selvey says, when "everythingwent to hell."

The mothers decided to pull their kids out of class, but as they left the building Devan spotted the kids who had been bothering him sitting on the steps of the Pat Quinn Arena just across the road.

'Devan didn't have a chance to fightback'

Shawn Wagar, Brody's father, previously told CBCso he went over with the boys to confront the group and try to find some sort of solution to end the bullying.

The kids started yelling before theyeven got close, according to Wagar, who said oneof the teens pulled out a bottle of bear spray.

"Brody and Shawn got it in their eyes, Devan got it in his throat," recalled Selvey. "Devan started running, the kids started chasing him and I started chasing them in my car."

Selvey said she followed the group down the road and behind the school, trying to pull her son into the vehicle and block the teens chasing him.

The pursuit finally stopped behind the building, said Selvey, because Devan had been confronted by a girlfrom the group who was yelling at him to hit her.

"Devan said 'I can't hit you, I was raised better than that'. Then akid "came from behind me, stabbed Devan in the back and took off," she explained through tears."That just tells you what type of boy he was."

Selvey describes the stabbing as a"cowardly act."

"Devan didn't have a chance to fightback," she said. "Devan didn't even know it was coming."

In the moments that followed, Selvey said she held her son as two construction workers who were standing nearby tried to save his life. She's still trying to find those workers, she said. She wants to thank them.

The vice principal she had been speaking to just moments before thestabbing also ran out of the school.

Selvey said she snapped at the sight of him, yelling "Look what you did.You could have stopped this from happening."

His face turned "white as a ghost" and he went back inside, she added.

'My life fell apart,' says mom who saw son stabbed outside his Hamilton high school

5 years ago

Duration 7:55

Devan Bracci-Selvey was attacked before his mother's eyes outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Monday. His mother says he had been bullied since the beginning of the school year.

Two days after Devan's death, Selvey spoke to the media.

"Everyone failed my son," she said through sobs."Even I did. I tried to save him and I couldn't. I couldn't get to him in time."

Now Selvey says she's determined not to crumble under the pain of her grief so she can keep being a voice for Devan.

'Let's not wait ... kids are being hurt'

On Monday the HWDSBvoted unanimously in favour of setting up an independent, three-person panel that will review how it handles bullying before reporting back in May.

Selvey attended that meeting, saying it was her understanding she would be able to speak. That didn't happen and she left upset.

The board has since apologized for any miscommunication and said it welcomes her input whenever she feels ready.

"At the moment I have no words for the board ... not polite ones anyway," Selvey said Wednesday, adding she's trying to focus on bringing change, not anger.

If she had been able to speak, she says her message is that something needs to be done about bullying right now May could be too late.

"Let's not wait. There's nothing really to discuss. Kids are being hurt, there's your discussion, fix it."

The family is planning a series of eventsfor early November, including a benefit concert, a demonstration outside city hall and the November 7 call for kids to stay home from school.

For now Selvey is focused on staying strong for Devan.

After his death the family placed some of his ashes in pendants that weredistributed among his friends and loved ones.

Selvey wears a dolphin around her neck, making sureto keep Devan close.