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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.