A coroner’s inquest opening today in Montreal will focus on the deaths of three men apparently killed at random over a 24-hour period last August.
Coroner Géhane Kamel will oversee the investigation into the murders of André Lemieux, Mohamed Belhaj, Alex Lévis-Crevier and the police killing of 26-year-old suspect Abdulla Shaikh.
At the time of the killings, provincial police said it appeared the suspect, who had a history of mental health issues, had chosen his victims at random and acquired a firearm illegally.
Police allege Mr. Shaikh shot Mr. Lemieux, 64, and Mr. Belhaj, 48, overnight in Montreal in August 2022 and killed Mr. Lévis-Crevier, 22, in Laval about 24 hours later late.
The Quebec Mental Health Review Commission indicated in March 2022 that Mr. Shaikh, who was under the supervision of a mental health hospital, represented a “significant risk” to public safety, but could continue to live in the community.
The commission also indicated that although he suffered from denial and trivialization of behavioral disorders, as well as violence and psychiatric pathology, the patient had shown improvement over the previous six months.
In the days following the wave of murders, Chief Coroner Pascale Descary ordered a public inquiry into the deaths.
To watch on video