During a shooting that occurred Sunday evening in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a father put himself in the path of the bullets to protect his children, according to information from Radio-Canada. The suspect, Nackeal Hickey, appeared in court Tuesday; he faces 15 charges, including attempted murder.
A shooting of rare violence occurred in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, in the west of Montreal, Sunday evening, during an armed confrontation between police officers and Nackeal Hickey, a 26-year-old man. According to our sources, the latter is a street gang member with multiple criminal records.
The suspect attacked the Abdallah family, who found themselves in the middle of the altercation. As Houssam Abdallah and his two children were unloading their camping car, the suspect reportedly came running, holding a gun, and shouted at them: Give me your keys! »according to Radio-Canada. The family then fled, but found themselves in the middle of the shooting. Chased by police officers, the suspect allegedly took refuge in their car and exchanged about forty shots with the police, according to several media reports.
When his 18-year-old son, Abdel-Rahman Abdallah, was hit by a first bullet, Houssam Abdallah put himself in the line of fire to protect his children, his daughter, Jana Abdallah, told Radio-Canada.
“Without him, I might not be alive anymore,” she told reporters from the Société d’État. She escaped unharmed, but blamed the emergency services for taking nearly an hour to arrive on the scene.
Abdel-Rahman Abdallah confirmed his words and explained to Radio-Canada that the bullet that hit him hit two centimeters from the spine. He has since been released from the hospital. “I owe him my life, he is my hero,” he told Radio-Canada journalists, about his father, a 52-year-old man.
The latter was hit by 5 bullets; he is still hospitalized, according to the latest information from the Crown Corporation. On Monday, the Sûreté du Québec, which took charge of the investigation, assured that there was no longer any fear for his life. His son was able to visit him before leaving the hospital, he explained to Radio-Canada journalists; his father is conscious and able to speak despite the seriousness of his injuries, which still require numerous surgical interventions.
The suspect, Nackeal Hickey, who was also hospitalized, has several criminal records, including domestic violence, break and enter and making death threats. He was charged with attempted murder in 2016, but eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. According to our sources, he is considered a member of Rollin 90s, a street gang operating in particular in the West Island.
In total, 15 charges have been filed against him so far, including attempted murder, attempted mutilation or disfigurement, aggravated assault, and use of a prohibited firearm, Radio-Canada said. According to information from the Sûreté du Québec, he appeared at the Montreal courthouse on August 6.
Due to the circumstances of the armed altercation with the suspect, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) took charge of the case. Seven BEI investigators are currently investigating the event.
With information from Mayssa Ferah, The Pressand The Canadian Press