Abdulla Shaikh had fun “blowing” other patients during a stay in psychiatry at the Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval. He made death threats against a psychiatrist and the court also prohibited him from approaching a beneficiary attendant. This emerged Thursday from the hearings held as part of the public inquiry into the murder of three people by Abdulla Shaikh.
Abdulla Shaikh was hospitalized three times between 2018 and 2021 to treat his schizophrenia. In all three cases, the patient never recognized his illness and was reluctant to take his medication. He was nevertheless polite and accepted that doctors contact his family, if necessary.
During his third hospital stay, however, psychiatrists began to notice signs of antisocial personality. “He had to be confined to his room because he was contesting treatment. He negatively influenced the other most vulnerable patients, he made them jump, in quotes,” explained psychiatrist Martin Vézina.
“He had fun seeing white codes, that is to say moments of agitation. It even made him laugh,” he added during his testimony before coroner Géhane Kamel.
On August 2 and 3, 2022, Abdulla Shaikh shot three people at random in Laval and Montreal. On the 4th, he was killed by officers from the Montreal Police Department in a motel where he was hiding. André Lemieux, Mohamed Belhaj and Alex Lévis-Crevier lost their lives during this deadly rampage.
The Dr Martin Vézina, however, doubts that Abdulla Shaikh acted during an episode of schizophrenia. During his previous attacks, Shaikh became disorganized, had difficulty speaking, drove fast, became agitated, and had delusions of poisoning. “It was red flags. We saw it coming,” he explained.
Conversely, the actions committed in Laval and Montreal were organized, he argued. “ [C’est] a long-time premeditated gesture with a precise objective. He had several weapons. This is not at all typical of psychosis. We are more like someone who has a personality disorder, who wants to hurt and who plans his actions,” said the psychiatrist, specifying that it will never be possible to make a real diagnosis.
Earlier today, psychiatrist Simon Roussel presented a national study which reveals that psychiatric patients involved in crimes are twice as likely to reoffend in Quebec as in Ontario or British Columbia. Patients are also kept in detention for a shorter period of time in Quebec and their psychiatric follow-ups are shorter.
The day before, the doctor read a letter that he sent to the CISSS de Laval to denounce the lack of psychiatrists, in August 2022. A similar letter was sent to Lionel Carmant, the minister responsible for Social Services, a year later late. Normally, the Cité-de-la-Santé must have 60 psychiatrists; There are only 18 of them, including four with reduced workloads, at present.