(Amqui) The deadly attack on Monday in Amqui left two children seriously injured, confirmed Tuesday morning the police, who do not fear for their lives.
A child under one year old and another almost three years old are among the 10 pedestrians struck in the small municipality of Bas-Saint-Laurent. They were transferred to the hospital.
“We do not fear for the lives of children,” reassured Claude Doiron, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), during a press briefing in Amqui on Tuesday morning.
“There are still talks of two deaths and three people struggling for life in hospitals outside the region, and six other people who have suffered injuries at various levels. »
The police also confirmed the identity of the two victims of the attack. They are Gérald Charest, 65, and Jean Lafrenière, 73, both from Amqui.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Claude Doiron, spokesperson for the SQ
The driver of the van turned himself in to authorities immediately after the collisions. Steeve Gagnon, 38, is due to appear around 2 p.m. at the Amqui courthouse. The police arrested him for fatal hit-and-run and murder charges.
“What the investigation shows is that the actions were premeditated and that people were targeted at random. They were pedestrians walking on the edge of the 132 on both sides of the road, for a certain distance,” said Sergeant Doiron.
The suspect cooperates with the police and answers their questions. For the moment, the police do not know the motive of the crime. “We are not talking about a terrorist act. The individual acted alone. It is an unfortunate and isolated act,” notes Sergeant Doiron.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
A stroller was visible at the scene of the incident.
Tuesday morning, the crime scene looked desolate. Shoes were strewn on the ground near a twisted stroller.
“The only ones who weren’t screaming were the victims,” recalls David Morin, who witnessed the sordid scene in the moments following the collisions.
According to him, the victims were strewn on the ground for more than 100 meters. “The guy, he continued! And there are some who avoided it, the truck. »
More details to come.