Hundreds march in Montreal for slain teenager and other victims of violence
On Sunday, 16-year-old Thomas Trudel was shot in St-Michel.
In February, 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui was caught by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in St-Leonard and died.
Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, 16, was stabbed to death in Cote-des-Neiges in October.
Hundreds showed up to honour these teenagers and march to remember their lives and demand for solutions.
Supporters gathered at Parc Franncois-Perrault, near where Trudel was shot and killed just over a week ago.
Among them was 15-year-old Nazim, a former classmate of Trudel's, who said he'll be remembered for his kindness.
"The day after his death, something was wrong with François-Perreault. (...) It was not like before. It's like the school has lost its soul," said Nazim.
The memorial march comes the day after the funeral for Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, who was stabbed and killed outside of his school. Dopwell-Bailey's family criticized the "double standard" from politicians in Quebec, who publicly spoke and made gestures of support after Trudel's death, but not for the 16-year-old.
Premier Francois Legault laid flowers at a makeshift memorial for Trudel, and Mayor Valerie Plante held a news conference after his dealth along with Montreal police (SPVM) chief Sylvain Caron offering support to the family. Neither made a similar gesture after Dopwell-Bailey was killed.
MNA Chantal Rouleau, MP Pablo Rodriguez and provincial Liberal leader Dominique Anglade and other politicians attended the march on Saturday and some spoke about violence in the city and the need to address its root causes.
"They are all our children," said Rouleau, who called gun crime prevention a "community responsibility."
"It's so important to stay together, and fight together, against violence," she said.
The Forum Jeuness de Saint-Michel organized Saturday's event, which included speeches, a moment of silence and the opportunity to lay flowers in memorium.
'WE NEED TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS': ANGLADE
Lawmakers renewed appeals to Ottawa for more support to fight gun trafficking, saying the issue concerns federal jurisdictions.
"The federal (government) has a mandate at its borders, that's clear. They need to take action," said provincial opposition leader Anglade, adding that the province also needs to step up its efforts.
As for "the provincial (government), if you work with organizations on the ground, you realize they need help," she said. "Prevention is key. Where is the money?"
"At the end of the day, we need to put our money where our mouth is."
Honoré-Mercier MP Rodriguez echoed those concerns, saying "we all have to do more," and hailing the federal government's assault-style weapons ban.
"I'm not here as minister, I'm here as a human being, as a father," he said. "We have to stand up to violence."
-- This is a developing story that will be updated. This article was published with files from CTV News' Ian Wood and The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.