Coroner orders public inquiry into Montreal shooting deaths
Quebec's chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the shooting deaths of three people, as well as that of the alleged gunman, following a killing spree last week in the Montreal area.
Pascale Descary said on Monday the inquiry will probe the deaths of André Lemieux, 64, Mohamed Belhaj, 48, and 22-year-old Alex Levis-Crevier, who died within a span of less than 25 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. The inquiry, led by coroner Gehane Kamel, will also look into the death of Abdulla Shaikh, the 26-year-old man police accused of killing the three man seeminly at random.
Quebec provincial police said Shaikh, who was known to have mental health issues, was shot dead by Montreal police officers at the Pierre Motel in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough at 7 a.m. Thursday during a police operation. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Descary said the investigation will analyze the factors that contributed to the deaths and make recommendations to prevent similar tragedies.
"The hearings will allow any person of interest to express themselves concerning the circumstances of these deaths in order to analyze all the contributing factors, and this, with a view to proposing possible solutions for better protection of human life," the coroner's office said in a news release.
Kamel has presided over several high-profile inquiries, including hearings following the 2020 death of Joyce Echaquan, and the investigation into deaths at the Herron care home during Quebec's first COVID-19 wave.
A mental health review board ruled in March 2022 that the shooting suspect could continue living outside a mental health institution despite hearing evidence from his psychiatrist that he was "a significant risk to the public safety" due to his mental state.
His doctor and the review board — Commission d'examen des troubles mentaux — both agreed, however, that he could live in the community under certain conditions that were to be enforced by the hospital where he was treated.
In his report, the psychiatrist said Shaikj was diagnosed with schizophrenia and "the denial and trivialization of behavioural disorders, violence and psychiatric pathology" was cited as a concern in a dangerousness assessment.
The board also heard at a hearing that Shaikh had shown signs of improvement prior to the ruling that allowed him to remain living freely.
SUSPECT MAY HAVE ASSEMBLED GUN PARTS
Meanwhile, more questions are being raised about not only the decision to allow the suspect to live freely but also how he got his hands on a firearm in the killings. Police have publicly said that he did not have a firearms license and more investigation is needed to determine how he obtained the weapon.
Police sources told several media outlets that the shooting suspect may have carried a weapon that was not only illegal but built using various readily available parts.
As Canada prepares to ban the import of handguns, replaceable parts remain widely available. Canadian suppliers contacted by CTV News said there would be no problem getting them, even if the guns themselves can't be brought in.
"Even when you try to control everything, at the end, bottom line, people can go and make themselves a gun," said André Durocher, a retired Montreal police officer, in an interview with CTV.
Investigators have yet to confirm what type of gun the suspect used or which assembly parts were used. However, in recent years, the technology has evolved so much that some weapons can be built with the help of a 3D printer. Manufactured parts can then be used to perfect them.
For gun control activists, this is proof that simply banning certain types of weapons doesn't go far enough.
"Our regulations are not strong enough. We still have to find ways because those who want to use these kinds of weapons are really creative," said Nathalie Prevost, activist and survivor of Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique shooting in 1989.
3D models, for example, are widely distributed on the internet, while regular parts remain a click away.
Activists say it's one reason why the current gun restrictions announced earlier by Canada's public safety minister still need to be improved before the law is adopted this fall.
"If we can identify ways to improve the bill in order to prevent the possibility to import some parts, maybe we would be able to do that," said Prevost, who advocates for stricter gun-contol regulations with the PolySeSouvient group.
It's one reason why Durocher said Canadians shouldn't put all their hopes into tougher gun regulations.
"Right now, it sounds like a band-aid solution in order to put the lid on the pot of public opinion."
'THEY DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THAT'
Police allege Shaikh shot two men — Lemieux and Belhaj — on Tuesday night in Montreal and killed Levis-Crevier in Laval, Que., around 24 hours later.
Stephanie Lefrancois, whose family has been friends with Lemieux since before she was born, said his friends and neighbours have been traumatized by the killings.
"We can't believe his life was sadly, unjustly ripped away like that, out of nowhere," she said in a phone interview with The Canadian Press.
Lefrancois describes Lemieux, a former mechanic, as a "very generous man" who took care of his elderly mother and was always helping his neighbours with repairs around their apartments.
She said he would visit her regularly, often to watch videos of his son, professional boxer David Lemieux, of whom he was incredibly proud.
Lefrancois says she, like many others, feels more needs to be done to stop gun violence in Montreal, which she says "didn't start yesterday."
"They didn't deserve to die like that, Andre, or the others," she said.
Premier François Legault, meanwhile, clarified comments he made on the shooter last week, after facing criticism for saying he was happy "we are rid" of the suspect.
Speaking Monday at an unrelated announcement in Quebec's north shore region, Legault said that he'd meant to say he was happy the suspect had been taken out of harm's way.
"Clearly I didn't rejoice that he was dead, we don't want that," Legault said. "There are people who have mental health problems."
Legault said the investigations underway, including the one announced by the coroner, would help clear up, among other things, why the suspect had been released.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Denial and uncertainty are looming over a Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from U.S. Election Day
Exactly six months before Election Day, Biden and Trump are locked in the first contest in 112 years with a current and former president competing for the White House. It's a race that is at once deeply entrenched and highly in flux as many voters are only just beginning to embrace the reality of the 2024 campaign.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.