Close friends of young Thomas Trudel, shot dead in the street in Montreal last month, are mobilizing to demand a ban on handguns in Canada.
The group gave itself the name “Together for Thomas”, in memory of the 16-year-old teenager killed in the Saint-Michel district as he left a park to walk home.
No one has yet been arrested in what is described as a gratuitous crime. Thomas Trudel’s murder is part of a spate of at least three murders of teenage gunshots this year, prompting numerous calls for tighter gun control as well as action to fight against violence between young people.
Ensemble pour Thomas was created by four high school students who present themselves as close friends of the young victim. They hope to bring youth together to campaign to “change gun laws”, get “a federal ban on handguns” and “reduce illegal trafficking”.
Luna Vadlamudy, one of the founders of the movement, told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that the first step in their process was to write a letter to the premier of Quebec, François Legault, in the hope that the latter could clarify his government’s position on the ban on handguns and ultimately gain his support in their demand for a complete ban on handguns by the federal government.
The federal Liberal government promised in the Speech from the Throne last month to work with the provinces that wish to ban these types of weapons from their territory. This is a change of course for the Trudeau government, which previously wanted to hand over this responsibility to the municipalities.
Raphaël Laurence explained that the small circle of friends made the decision to mobilize to show their support for their missing friend. “Following his death, we decided that it could not happen again,” said the teenager met outside Joseph-François-Perrault high school.
“We didn’t want other people to experience what the school, the community, the neighborhood went through,” added young Raphaël.
In their letter to Prime Minister Legault, the group hailed as “a good thing” the recent investments of the Caquist government to fight against the illegal trafficking of firearms in Quebec. However, they denounced the fact that in their eyes Quebec and Ottawa “are throwing the ball” instead of acting.
“We are convinced, like many others, that handguns must be banned nationally and not just in Quebec,” they wrote. We hope that the Government of Quebec will endorse this position and communicate it to the Government of Canada. ”
Another member of the group, Alice Benoit, that we do not especially need another tragedy to act. “It was the last straw and we really have to act now. It can no longer happen in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It’s too much. ”
The group has already met the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, who has called for a federal ban on handguns and a tightening of border controls to counter smuggling. In the wake of the tragic death of Thomas Trudel, Valérie Plante announced her intention to hold a forum in January to find solutions to gun violence in the metropolis.
While acknowledging that a provincial ban may be an option, the mayor believes that the most coherent and effective measure would be federal regulation, a vision shared by the Ensemble pour Thomas movement.
Émile Tremblay, another member of the group, points out that polls show that seven in ten Canadians support a pan-Canadian ban on handguns. A measure that would require an amendment to the Criminal Code.
“That’s why we aim big, because we all deserve to be safe” and not only in Quebec, he stressed.
The group calls on all young people who want to support their cause to join them on the various social media platforms.
“It is really by bringing together as many young people as possible that we will be heard,” underlines Raphaël Laurence.