So... you take away the possibility of self defense and wait for a cop to break away from coffee and doughnuts while someone's firing an illegal gun in your direction. Isn't it out of the hands of bad guys you want them?
Toronto Eaton Centre shooting kills 1, injures 7
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
Those suggestions all have one serious flaw, and that is that all of the items you list have a peaceful and non-lethal purpose if used properly. Firearms cannot make that claim.
Top court won’t hear appeal over new trial in Eaton Centre shooting
Canadian Press
More from Canadian Press
Published:
February 8, 2018
Updated:
February 8, 2018 11:23 AM EST
Raw: Eaton Centre Shooting CCTV 0:34
A man convicted and then acquitted of killing two people in a shooting that sparked terror and chaos in Toronto’s landmark Eaton Centre almost six years ago will have to face a new trial after Canada’s top court refused on Thursday to get involved in the case.
The Supreme Court of Canada decision leaves intact last year’s ruling from Ontario’s top court in favour of Christopher Husbands, who had earlier been convicted of second-degree murder and other offences related to the shooting.
In a unanimous decision last July, Ontario’s top court overturned Husbands’ convictions based on defence arguments about how jurors had been selected. The Appeal Court, finding that the trial judge had improperly rejected a defence request related to jury selection, ordered a new trial. The prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court, which said Thursday it would not weigh in.
The killings of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, and the wounding of five others at the popular downtown mall in June 2012 sent hundreds of patrons scrambling for their lives. A pregnant woman was trampled in the mayhem and a 13-year-old boy was shot in the head, but survived.
New trial ordered for man convicted in deadly Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Husbands was acquitted of first-degree murder but was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24.
Ahmed Hassan, 24, was killed in a shooting at the Toronto Eaton Centre on June 2, 2012.
Husbands, charged with first-degree murder, admitted responsibility for the havoc in the crowded food court but denied going to the mall intending to kill anyone. He maintained he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when he encountered a group of men he believed was out to get him and opened fire on them in a panic.
The jury, with then-Ontario Superior Court justice Eugene Ewaschuk presiding, convicted him of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Ewaschuk sentenced Husbands to life in prison with no chance of parole for 30 years.
But it was a ruling by Ewaschuk at the outset of the hearing related to jury selection that prompted the Ontario Court of Appeal to quash the convictions and order a new trial.
The issue related to whether the first two jurors of a panel hearing a case — called triers — accept the selection of the remaining jurors, a situation known as static triers. Alternatively, each newly selected juror replaces one of the first two triers in selecting the next member of the panel, a situation known as rotating triers.
Parliament amended the Criminal Code in 2008 to allow for static triers — meaning the same two people pick the entire jury — but only if the defence makes the request. In the Husbands’ case, Ewaschuk imposed static triers over objections from the defence.
As a result, the three-member appeal panel said the jury was improperly constituted and the verdict could not stand.
“Expressly and repeatedly, counsel wanted rotating triers,” Justice David Watt wrote for the Appeal Court. “Yet the trial judge forged ahead, despite the entreaties of defence counsel, without any inquiries of the trial Crown about her position, and seemingly oblivious to the confining language of the enabling legislation.”
The Crown did not contest the jury’s second-degree murder finding — despite the original first-degree murder charge in the case — meaning that’s the main charge Husbands would face at a new trial.
Top court won
Canadian Press
More from Canadian Press
Published:
February 8, 2018
Updated:
February 8, 2018 11:23 AM EST
Raw: Eaton Centre Shooting CCTV 0:34
A man convicted and then acquitted of killing two people in a shooting that sparked terror and chaos in Toronto’s landmark Eaton Centre almost six years ago will have to face a new trial after Canada’s top court refused on Thursday to get involved in the case.
The Supreme Court of Canada decision leaves intact last year’s ruling from Ontario’s top court in favour of Christopher Husbands, who had earlier been convicted of second-degree murder and other offences related to the shooting.
In a unanimous decision last July, Ontario’s top court overturned Husbands’ convictions based on defence arguments about how jurors had been selected. The Appeal Court, finding that the trial judge had improperly rejected a defence request related to jury selection, ordered a new trial. The prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court, which said Thursday it would not weigh in.
The killings of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, and the wounding of five others at the popular downtown mall in June 2012 sent hundreds of patrons scrambling for their lives. A pregnant woman was trampled in the mayhem and a 13-year-old boy was shot in the head, but survived.
New trial ordered for man convicted in deadly Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Husbands was acquitted of first-degree murder but was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24.
Ahmed Hassan, 24, was killed in a shooting at the Toronto Eaton Centre on June 2, 2012.
Husbands, charged with first-degree murder, admitted responsibility for the havoc in the crowded food court but denied going to the mall intending to kill anyone. He maintained he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when he encountered a group of men he believed was out to get him and opened fire on them in a panic.
The jury, with then-Ontario Superior Court justice Eugene Ewaschuk presiding, convicted him of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Ewaschuk sentenced Husbands to life in prison with no chance of parole for 30 years.
But it was a ruling by Ewaschuk at the outset of the hearing related to jury selection that prompted the Ontario Court of Appeal to quash the convictions and order a new trial.
The issue related to whether the first two jurors of a panel hearing a case — called triers — accept the selection of the remaining jurors, a situation known as static triers. Alternatively, each newly selected juror replaces one of the first two triers in selecting the next member of the panel, a situation known as rotating triers.
Parliament amended the Criminal Code in 2008 to allow for static triers — meaning the same two people pick the entire jury — but only if the defence makes the request. In the Husbands’ case, Ewaschuk imposed static triers over objections from the defence.
As a result, the three-member appeal panel said the jury was improperly constituted and the verdict could not stand.
“Expressly and repeatedly, counsel wanted rotating triers,” Justice David Watt wrote for the Appeal Court. “Yet the trial judge forged ahead, despite the entreaties of defence counsel, without any inquiries of the trial Crown about her position, and seemingly oblivious to the confining language of the enabling legislation.”
The Crown did not contest the jury’s second-degree murder finding — despite the original first-degree murder charge in the case — meaning that’s the main charge Husbands would face at a new trial.
Top court won
Yes because we all have a Concealed Carry Permit in Canada and carry around our firearms.. FAILED!!
In our just us system a lie is as good as the truth if you can just get 12 people to believe it.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Michele Mandel
Published:
December 19, 2018
Updated:
December 19, 2018 8:24 PM EST
Scene of Eaton centre Shooting on Saturday, June 2, 2012. (Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun)
Christopher Husbands thought he was going to die.
The accused Eaton Centre killer wears a royal blue suit, white shirt and tie as he sits in the witness box and calmly recounts the harrowing attack he suffered a few months before he opened fire in the crowded food court and killed two men.
The Crown contends the shooting was cold-blooded payback for the ambush that left him with 20 stab wounds, his own brand of “street justice” brazenly executed in the middle of a busy mall.
Husbands, 29, has admitted fatally shooting Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25, and wounding five others in the wild spray of bullets on June 2, 2012, but says he’s not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
His lawyers insist he was suffering from PTSD following the terrifying incident and snapped when he spotted some of his attackers.
Now was his chance to convince the jury that after a childhood of trauma, their vicious attack left him mentally shattered.
Led by questions from lawyer Dirk Derstine, Husbands first described growing up in Guyana with a crack-addicted mom who’d abandon him and his three siblings for up to a month at a time.
Eventually his father sent for them and at 11, he arrived in Regent Park.
Christopher Husbands arrives in court in Toronto on Monday, June 4, 2012. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
“I had a pretty rough time,” he recalled. “I was lost.”
His dad worked nights and was often absent and resentful. He witnessed racism for the first time and saw a man killed before his eyes at 13.
Is it surprising that he fell into the life? Husbands sold crack — but also worked for the city at an after-school program.
He got expelled from high school — but managed to get into a college program.
He had ambitions.
“I really wanted to make something of my life.”
On Feb. 28, 2012, he was heading to a Gerrard St. apartment. A former lover — and mother of one of his friends — had promised a gift for his 23rd birthday. He was also going to meet childhood friend Nixon Nirmalendran who’d asked to borrow money.
Nirmalendran had recently assured him there was no truth to rumours he was angry with him.
So Husbands had no idea he was walking into an ambush.
“I felt a hand grab me. I felt something hit me at the right side of my head,” he told the jury with little emotion.
The masked men called him a snake and told him he’d disrespected them. “None of which made any sense to me.”
They punched and kicked him. They duct taped his feet and arms and tried to tape his face as well. “I was panicking. I was obviously afraid.”
One of them put a .45 calibre gun to his head and said, “Four-five to the dome” before pistol whipping him on the side of his mouth, cracking his tooth.
He was carried to the bathroom where they’d filled the bathtub. “I was thinking, ‘Holy sh-t.’ I was panicking. They were trying to drown me.”
He managed to break free only to be caught and thrown down on his stomach in a bedroom.
“There was constant pounding on my back. I started twitching. It must have hit my spine. I felt like my body was convulsing.”
The photos show an apartment drenched in blood. He’d survive almost two dozen stab wounds.
Husbands refused to identify his attackers to police, but recognized Nirmalendran and his brother, his lover’s son as well as other acquaintances from the neighbourhood.
He began outlining his symptoms of PTSD.
Trauma from gang ambush influenced Eaton Centre shooter: Defence
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Accused Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of sex assault
“I was pretty depressed, I was having problems sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks. I was blaming myself. I wasn’t in the best emotional state.”
He wouldn’t sit on the couch because it was in the line of fire if someone shot through his door.
He put a penny-filled wine glass by the balcony so he’d get a warning if someone tried to break in. He had panic attacks in crowded places and was drinking daily to calm himself.
“I was afraid of leaving my house, I was paranoid,” he recalled. “I got a sword and started sleeping with it beside my bed.”
Husbands described recurring nightmares “of someone trying to stab me or shooting at me or chasing me down.”
And then came that June day when he spotted the crew that attacked him.
Husband’s testimony continues Thursday.
mmandel@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/local-ne...ic-stabbing-that-led-to-eaton-centre-shooting
Michele Mandel
Published:
December 19, 2018
Updated:
December 19, 2018 8:24 PM EST
Scene of Eaton centre Shooting on Saturday, June 2, 2012. (Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun)
Christopher Husbands thought he was going to die.
The accused Eaton Centre killer wears a royal blue suit, white shirt and tie as he sits in the witness box and calmly recounts the harrowing attack he suffered a few months before he opened fire in the crowded food court and killed two men.
The Crown contends the shooting was cold-blooded payback for the ambush that left him with 20 stab wounds, his own brand of “street justice” brazenly executed in the middle of a busy mall.
Husbands, 29, has admitted fatally shooting Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25, and wounding five others in the wild spray of bullets on June 2, 2012, but says he’s not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
His lawyers insist he was suffering from PTSD following the terrifying incident and snapped when he spotted some of his attackers.
Now was his chance to convince the jury that after a childhood of trauma, their vicious attack left him mentally shattered.
Led by questions from lawyer Dirk Derstine, Husbands first described growing up in Guyana with a crack-addicted mom who’d abandon him and his three siblings for up to a month at a time.
Eventually his father sent for them and at 11, he arrived in Regent Park.
Christopher Husbands arrives in court in Toronto on Monday, June 4, 2012. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
“I had a pretty rough time,” he recalled. “I was lost.”
His dad worked nights and was often absent and resentful. He witnessed racism for the first time and saw a man killed before his eyes at 13.
Is it surprising that he fell into the life? Husbands sold crack — but also worked for the city at an after-school program.
He got expelled from high school — but managed to get into a college program.
He had ambitions.
“I really wanted to make something of my life.”
On Feb. 28, 2012, he was heading to a Gerrard St. apartment. A former lover — and mother of one of his friends — had promised a gift for his 23rd birthday. He was also going to meet childhood friend Nixon Nirmalendran who’d asked to borrow money.
Nirmalendran had recently assured him there was no truth to rumours he was angry with him.
So Husbands had no idea he was walking into an ambush.
“I felt a hand grab me. I felt something hit me at the right side of my head,” he told the jury with little emotion.
The masked men called him a snake and told him he’d disrespected them. “None of which made any sense to me.”
They punched and kicked him. They duct taped his feet and arms and tried to tape his face as well. “I was panicking. I was obviously afraid.”
One of them put a .45 calibre gun to his head and said, “Four-five to the dome” before pistol whipping him on the side of his mouth, cracking his tooth.
He was carried to the bathroom where they’d filled the bathtub. “I was thinking, ‘Holy sh-t.’ I was panicking. They were trying to drown me.”
He managed to break free only to be caught and thrown down on his stomach in a bedroom.
“There was constant pounding on my back. I started twitching. It must have hit my spine. I felt like my body was convulsing.”
The photos show an apartment drenched in blood. He’d survive almost two dozen stab wounds.
Husbands refused to identify his attackers to police, but recognized Nirmalendran and his brother, his lover’s son as well as other acquaintances from the neighbourhood.
He began outlining his symptoms of PTSD.
Trauma from gang ambush influenced Eaton Centre shooter: Defence
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Accused Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of sex assault
“I was pretty depressed, I was having problems sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks. I was blaming myself. I wasn’t in the best emotional state.”
He wouldn’t sit on the couch because it was in the line of fire if someone shot through his door.
He put a penny-filled wine glass by the balcony so he’d get a warning if someone tried to break in. He had panic attacks in crowded places and was drinking daily to calm himself.
“I was afraid of leaving my house, I was paranoid,” he recalled. “I got a sword and started sleeping with it beside my bed.”
Husbands described recurring nightmares “of someone trying to stab me or shooting at me or chasing me down.”
And then came that June day when he spotted the crew that attacked him.
Husband’s testimony continues Thursday.
mmandel@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/local-ne...ic-stabbing-that-led-to-eaton-centre-shooting
Eaton Centre's shooter draws memory blanks on witness stand
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
December 20, 2018
Updated:
December 20, 2018 6:37 PM EST
Christopher Husbands in Old City Hall court on June 4, 2012. (Pam Davies sketch/Postmedia file)
Accused murderer Christopher Husbands testified Thursday he recalled his hands rising in a shooter’s pose, but “doesn’t remember” fatally shooting two men at the Eaton Centre.
“Suddenly my hands went like this,” Husbands demonstrated to the jury by extending both arms as if he were holding a firearm.
Surveillance video from the Urban Eatery food court showed Husbands, with a handgun in his right hand, walking in a crouched position and then firing his weapon and killing Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan on June 2, 2012.
“Do you remember the shooting?” defence lawyer Dirk Derstine asked his client.
Husbands responded he didn’t. But he vividly recalled seeing Nixon, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran and Hassan “as if they dropped out of nowhere” standing before him as he and his girlfriend LaChelle John were buying their sushi dinners.
He has conceded he was the gunman, but is asserting he’s not criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a knife-attack ambush — perpetrated by Nixon Nirmalendran and his cohorts — the previous February.
The prosecution is alleging the shooting was revenge against the culprits who inflicted 20 stab wounds on Husbands.
Husbands snapped on the day of the shooting when he spotted some of the men responsible for the harrowing knifing.
The video — played dozens of times at his trial — shows Husbands firing a gun while pursuing Nirmalendran, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran, Hassan, Ahmed Nuri and Robert Cada.
He heard one of them say, “What?” and then he saw Nixon order his brother Nisan to “shoot him,” meaning Husbands.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Trauma from gang ambush influenced Eaton Centre shooter: Defence
Then, Husbands said, “I’m in shock and surprised. I heard a loud bang and everything just got dark.
“There were dark silhouettes and shadows, falling down and going to the floor and disappearing off to the side,” described Husbands. “It was weird.
“It feels awful. It definitely happened. . .but everything to me was a blur.”
Police cars raced to the chaotic scene at the Eaton Centre as Husbands took a cab to his downtown apartment, court heard.
“I had no idea (what transpired). I turned on the TV to CP24 because I wanted to see what was going on. I was sad and confused,” said Husbands.
“I guessed there was a shootout at The Eaton Centre. When I learned that Hassan died. I was shocked. I never had a problem with him,” said Husbands.
The trial resumes on Jan. 7.
spazzano@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centres-shooter-draws-memory-blanks-on-witness-stand
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
December 20, 2018
Updated:
December 20, 2018 6:37 PM EST
Christopher Husbands in Old City Hall court on June 4, 2012. (Pam Davies sketch/Postmedia file)
Accused murderer Christopher Husbands testified Thursday he recalled his hands rising in a shooter’s pose, but “doesn’t remember” fatally shooting two men at the Eaton Centre.
“Suddenly my hands went like this,” Husbands demonstrated to the jury by extending both arms as if he were holding a firearm.
Surveillance video from the Urban Eatery food court showed Husbands, with a handgun in his right hand, walking in a crouched position and then firing his weapon and killing Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan on June 2, 2012.
“Do you remember the shooting?” defence lawyer Dirk Derstine asked his client.
Husbands responded he didn’t. But he vividly recalled seeing Nixon, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran and Hassan “as if they dropped out of nowhere” standing before him as he and his girlfriend LaChelle John were buying their sushi dinners.
He has conceded he was the gunman, but is asserting he’s not criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a knife-attack ambush — perpetrated by Nixon Nirmalendran and his cohorts — the previous February.
The prosecution is alleging the shooting was revenge against the culprits who inflicted 20 stab wounds on Husbands.
Husbands snapped on the day of the shooting when he spotted some of the men responsible for the harrowing knifing.
The video — played dozens of times at his trial — shows Husbands firing a gun while pursuing Nirmalendran, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran, Hassan, Ahmed Nuri and Robert Cada.
He heard one of them say, “What?” and then he saw Nixon order his brother Nisan to “shoot him,” meaning Husbands.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands seeks new trial
Trauma from gang ambush influenced Eaton Centre shooter: Defence
Then, Husbands said, “I’m in shock and surprised. I heard a loud bang and everything just got dark.
“There were dark silhouettes and shadows, falling down and going to the floor and disappearing off to the side,” described Husbands. “It was weird.
“It feels awful. It definitely happened. . .but everything to me was a blur.”
Police cars raced to the chaotic scene at the Eaton Centre as Husbands took a cab to his downtown apartment, court heard.
“I had no idea (what transpired). I turned on the TV to CP24 because I wanted to see what was going on. I was sad and confused,” said Husbands.
“I guessed there was a shootout at The Eaton Centre. When I learned that Hassan died. I was shocked. I never had a problem with him,” said Husbands.
The trial resumes on Jan. 7.
spazzano@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centres-shooter-draws-memory-blanks-on-witness-stand
Eaton Centre gunman vows revenge in jailhouse letter: Court
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
January 10, 2019
Updated:
January 10, 2019 5:17 PM EST
Christopher Husbands in an undated photo. (Supplied picture)
Accused murderer Christopher Husbands vowed to “punish” his foes for “f—— my life up” two months after he fatally shot two men at the Eaton Centre, his second-degree murder trial heard Thursday.
Husbands’ lawyer Dirk Derstine read his client’s letter to his girlfriend in August 2012 in court: “Trust me. If I get convicted and I see any of those guys here (at the Don Jail), I’ll punish them for f—— my life up.
“They better hope I don’t get convicted because it’s on when I see them in here. They better be willing to kill me without their big crowds the same way when they’re by themselves. I’m losing it right now,” wrote Husbands. He addressed the letter to “Hey gorgeous.”
Husbands testified he wasn’t plotting revenge but was simply venting his anger at the victims’ friends who had threatened his sister while Husbands was in custody awaiting trial.
Surveillance video from the Urban Eatery food court showed Husbands, with a handgun in his right hand, walking in a crouched position and then firing his weapon, killing Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan, on June 2, 2012.
Husbands testified he didn’t remember the shooting although he vividly recalled seeing Nixon, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran and Hassan “as if they dropped out of nowhere” standing before him as he and his girlfriend, LaChelle John, were buying sushi dinners.
He has conceded he was the gunman, but is asserting he’s not criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a knife-attack ambush — perpetrated by Nixon Nirmalendran and his cohorts — the previous February. Husbands has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the shooting.
The prosecution is alleging the shooting was revenge against the men who inflicted 20 stab wounds on Husbands, 29.
Husbands testified he snapped on the day of the shooting after spotting some of the men responsible for the harrowing knife attack.
The video — played dozens of times at his trial — shows Husbands firing a gun while pursuing Nirmalendran, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran, Hassan, Ahmed Nuri and Robert Cada.
Husbands fled from the mall and took a cab to his downtown apartment, saying he “turned on the TV to CP24 because I wanted to see what was going on. I was sad, confused.
“I guessed there was a shootout at The Eaton Centre. When I learned that Hassan died, I was shocked. I never had a problem with him,” said Husbands.
The trial resumes Friday.
spazzano@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centre-gunman-vows-revenge-in-jailhouse-letter-court
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
January 10, 2019
Updated:
January 10, 2019 5:17 PM EST
Christopher Husbands in an undated photo. (Supplied picture)
Accused murderer Christopher Husbands vowed to “punish” his foes for “f—— my life up” two months after he fatally shot two men at the Eaton Centre, his second-degree murder trial heard Thursday.
Husbands’ lawyer Dirk Derstine read his client’s letter to his girlfriend in August 2012 in court: “Trust me. If I get convicted and I see any of those guys here (at the Don Jail), I’ll punish them for f—— my life up.
“They better hope I don’t get convicted because it’s on when I see them in here. They better be willing to kill me without their big crowds the same way when they’re by themselves. I’m losing it right now,” wrote Husbands. He addressed the letter to “Hey gorgeous.”
Husbands testified he wasn’t plotting revenge but was simply venting his anger at the victims’ friends who had threatened his sister while Husbands was in custody awaiting trial.
Surveillance video from the Urban Eatery food court showed Husbands, with a handgun in his right hand, walking in a crouched position and then firing his weapon, killing Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan, on June 2, 2012.
Husbands testified he didn’t remember the shooting although he vividly recalled seeing Nixon, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran and Hassan “as if they dropped out of nowhere” standing before him as he and his girlfriend, LaChelle John, were buying sushi dinners.
He has conceded he was the gunman, but is asserting he’s not criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a knife-attack ambush — perpetrated by Nixon Nirmalendran and his cohorts — the previous February. Husbands has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the shooting.
The prosecution is alleging the shooting was revenge against the men who inflicted 20 stab wounds on Husbands, 29.
Husbands testified he snapped on the day of the shooting after spotting some of the men responsible for the harrowing knife attack.
The video — played dozens of times at his trial — shows Husbands firing a gun while pursuing Nirmalendran, his brother Nisan Nirmalendran, Hassan, Ahmed Nuri and Robert Cada.
Husbands fled from the mall and took a cab to his downtown apartment, saying he “turned on the TV to CP24 because I wanted to see what was going on. I was sad, confused.
“I guessed there was a shootout at The Eaton Centre. When I learned that Hassan died, I was shocked. I never had a problem with him,” said Husbands.
The trial resumes Friday.
spazzano@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centre-gunman-vows-revenge-in-jailhouse-letter-court
Crown to seek life sentence for Eaton Centre shooter convicted of manslaughter
Canadian Press
Published:
June 27, 2019
Updated:
June 27, 2019 5:33 PM EDT
Prosecutors say they will seek a life sentence for a man convicted of manslaughter in a shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre that claimed the lives of two people seven years ago.
Crown attorneys say while Christopher Husbands was acquitted of second-degree murder and found guilty on lesser charges in the mall shooting, the killings should be considered “near murder” and sentenced as such.
Defence lawyers say they will seek a fixed sentence but note they are waiting for pre-sentencing risk assessments to inform their submissions.
Both sides are expected to make submissions on a sentence next month.
Manslaughter carries no minimum sentence, except in cases involving a firearm, where the minimum is four years behind bars. The maximum sentence is life in prison.
Husbands was also found guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm in the June 2, 2012 mall shooting.
He admitted at trial that he was the shooter but his lawyers argued he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness.
The defence team argued Husbands was in a dissociative state due to post-traumatic stress disorder and, as a result, did not have control over his actions. They told the court his PTSD was triggered when he unexpectedly crossed paths with some of the men who had brutally attacked him and left him for dead months earlier.
The Crown acknowledged Husbands suffered from PTSD but said he knew what he was doing at the time — exacting revenge on his attackers.
Ahmed Hassan, 24, died on the floor of the mall’s food court and Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, died in hospital nine days later, court heard.
Six others were hurt, including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and survived, and a pregnant woman who was trampled by fleeing shoppers.
It was Husbands’s second trial in connection with the shooting. In the first trial, he was convicted of second-degree murder after being charged with first-degree.
Ontario’s highest court then overturned the ruling and ordered a new trial, finding the judge had made an error in law regarding jury selection.
Prosecutors are now appealing the latest outcome and seeking a third trial, alleging the judge in the second trial made several mistakes related to evidence.
They allege Ontario Superior Court Justice Brian O’Mara erred in requiring them to introduce the evidence of three Crown witnesses through an agreed statement of fact.
They say O’Mara also erred in excluding evidence related to Husbands’s criminal record and his being on bail at the time of the shooting, as well as evidence from eyewitnesses “that the accused was engaged in a targeted shooting.”
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Accused describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre killer had PTSD but was shooting for revenge: Crown
Is anywhere safe?
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/cr...aton-centre-shooter-convicted-of-manslaughter
Canadian Press
Published:
June 27, 2019
Updated:
June 27, 2019 5:33 PM EDT
Prosecutors say they will seek a life sentence for a man convicted of manslaughter in a shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre that claimed the lives of two people seven years ago.
Crown attorneys say while Christopher Husbands was acquitted of second-degree murder and found guilty on lesser charges in the mall shooting, the killings should be considered “near murder” and sentenced as such.
Defence lawyers say they will seek a fixed sentence but note they are waiting for pre-sentencing risk assessments to inform their submissions.
Both sides are expected to make submissions on a sentence next month.
Manslaughter carries no minimum sentence, except in cases involving a firearm, where the minimum is four years behind bars. The maximum sentence is life in prison.
Husbands was also found guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm in the June 2, 2012 mall shooting.
He admitted at trial that he was the shooter but his lawyers argued he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness.
The defence team argued Husbands was in a dissociative state due to post-traumatic stress disorder and, as a result, did not have control over his actions. They told the court his PTSD was triggered when he unexpectedly crossed paths with some of the men who had brutally attacked him and left him for dead months earlier.
The Crown acknowledged Husbands suffered from PTSD but said he knew what he was doing at the time — exacting revenge on his attackers.
Ahmed Hassan, 24, died on the floor of the mall’s food court and Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, died in hospital nine days later, court heard.
Six others were hurt, including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and survived, and a pregnant woman who was trampled by fleeing shoppers.
It was Husbands’s second trial in connection with the shooting. In the first trial, he was convicted of second-degree murder after being charged with first-degree.
Ontario’s highest court then overturned the ruling and ordered a new trial, finding the judge had made an error in law regarding jury selection.
Prosecutors are now appealing the latest outcome and seeking a third trial, alleging the judge in the second trial made several mistakes related to evidence.
They allege Ontario Superior Court Justice Brian O’Mara erred in requiring them to introduce the evidence of three Crown witnesses through an agreed statement of fact.
They say O’Mara also erred in excluding evidence related to Husbands’s criminal record and his being on bail at the time of the shooting, as well as evidence from eyewitnesses “that the accused was engaged in a targeted shooting.”
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Accused describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre killer had PTSD but was shooting for revenge: Crown
Is anywhere safe?
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/cr...aton-centre-shooter-convicted-of-manslaughter
Eaton Centre killer to be sentenced Aug. 6-9
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
July 8, 2019
Updated:
July 8, 2019 4:47 PM EDT
Christopher Husbands in an undated photo. (Supplied picture)
Eaton Centre gunman Christopher Husbands will be sentenced early next month for killing two men and wounding several others.
Husbands –convicted of two counts of manslaughter in February — appeared in court briefly Monday before Justice Brian O’Marra, who set his sentencing hearing for Aug. 6-9.
The 30-year-old went on a shooting spree at the Eaton Centre on June 2, 2012, killing Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25 and injuring several other victims.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
Eaton Centre’s shooter draws memory blanks on witness stand
A jury acquitted the 30-year-old of two counts of second-degree murder — in favour of convictions of the lesser offence of manslaughter. Jurors also found him guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and two weapons offences for wounding innocent bystanders.
In April 2015, Husbands was initially sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 30 years after being convicted of two counts of second-degree murder. Husbands launched an appeal and was awarded a second trial.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centre-killer-sentencing-postponed-till-aug-6-9
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
July 8, 2019
Updated:
July 8, 2019 4:47 PM EDT
Christopher Husbands in an undated photo. (Supplied picture)
Eaton Centre gunman Christopher Husbands will be sentenced early next month for killing two men and wounding several others.
Husbands –convicted of two counts of manslaughter in February — appeared in court briefly Monday before Justice Brian O’Marra, who set his sentencing hearing for Aug. 6-9.
The 30-year-old went on a shooting spree at the Eaton Centre on June 2, 2012, killing Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25 and injuring several other victims.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
Eaton Centre’s shooter draws memory blanks on witness stand
A jury acquitted the 30-year-old of two counts of second-degree murder — in favour of convictions of the lesser offence of manslaughter. Jurors also found him guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and two weapons offences for wounding innocent bystanders.
In April 2015, Husbands was initially sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 30 years after being convicted of two counts of second-degree murder. Husbands launched an appeal and was awarded a second trial.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/eaton-centre-killer-sentencing-postponed-till-aug-6-9
Boy shot in Eaton Centre the one with 'life sentence,' gunman's hearing told
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
August 7, 2019
Updated:
August 7, 2019 6:14 AM EDT
With a short burst of gunfire, Eaton Centre killer Christopher Husbands killed two men and severely injured several others — including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head but miraculously survived.
At the sentencing hearing, the young boy’s father Craig Stevenson read his dramatic victim impact statement and relived the unforgettable moment on June 2, 2012 when Husbands shattered the calm of a downtown mall by firing 14 bullets.
“BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG,” shouted Stevenson, his repetitive interpretation of gunshots jolting an otherwise subdued courtroom.
“Connor’s life and our lives changed forever when in a split-second,” Connor’s father continued.
“Christopher Husbands unloaded a full clip of 14 bullets into a busy food court, hitting Connor in the head.”
In February, Husbands was convicted of two counts of manslaughter — but acquitted of second-degree murder — in the shooting deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25.
A jury also convicted him of five counts of aggravated assault, plus two other gun offences, for injuring innocent bystanders like Connor Stevenson.
Four years ago, Husbands was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 30 years, the first of this sentence in Ontario.
Those convictions and sentence were quashed on appeal and a second trial was ordered.
On the day of the shooting, Craig Stevenson rushed to Sick Kids Hospital to discover his wife Jo-Anne and daughter Taylor both covered head-to-toe in Connor’s blood.
The 13-year-old was fighting for his life with a shattered skull.
A third of Connor’s skull had to be surgically removed to extract the bullet from his brain.
He had to wear a helmet to attend his Grade 8 graduation.
To illustrate the enormous impact the crime had on Connor’s life, his father showed photos of his then-dynamic 12-year-old son in 2011 — a year before the devastating shooting — while he read his statement.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
Eaton Centre killer suffered from PTSD but was shooting for revenge
Eaton Centre gunman awaits April sentencing hearing
Connor played hockey, rugby and lacrosse and was the adventurous, thrill-seeking life of the party, recalled Craig.
Connor, now 20, will never play those sports again as he cannot risk another head injury or exert himself.
“A hit to his head would likely mean certain death,” stated his mom, Jo-Anne Finney in her statement.
“Because of Connor’s extreme will to live and the brave acts of first responders, he survived the Eaton Centre shoot-up.
“Connor’s childhood was taken away. His days are now spent in his room,” Craig said.
“Behind a closed door, Connor spends the life sentence that Christopher Husbands delivered to him.”
Crown attorneys John Cisorio and Mary Humphrey are seeking a life sentence for Husbands with no chance of parole for 10 years.
His lawyers, Dirk Derstine and Stephanie DiGiuseppe haven’t revealed what they consider an appropriate sentence.
The Crown is also appealing the acquittal on the murder charges.
Prosecutors argued Husbands sought revenge for a Feb. 2012 stabbing where he was ambushed and stabbed by several men — and blamed Nirmalendran for instigating it.
Husbands’ shooting rampage was a form of “street justice” after he refused to cooperate with police investigating the violent attack on him, court heard.
The sentencing hearing resumes Wednesday.
Derstine and DiGiuseppe said Husbands was in a dissociative state as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder and “reacted instinctively without forming the intent to kill.”
Husbands’ PTSD was triggered by a chance encounter with some of those responsible for stabbing him, according to the defence.
The Crown accepted Husbands had PTSD as a result of his stabbing, but said he was in control throughout the attack — noting that doctors who assessed him were split on whether he experienced dissociation.
Derstine said the public has a greater understanding of PTSD and its effects than they did during his 2014 trial.
Connor’s family say they have been re-victimized by the process over the past seven years.
“We were innocent victims in June 2012 when we walked into the Eaton Centre beside a gunman. We were victimized again when the first trial was thrown out … and I felt victimized again when we were denied participation in the second trial,” said Finney.
“Connor, Taylor, Craig and I are victims of this process and everyone involved in it. There will be no justice for Connor or us.”
“There’s no end in sight for Connor or our family. We’ll keep suffering through the time and costs of medical complications, brain injury complications, counsellors, therapists and experts to give Connor the best life possible,” said the mom.
“I don’t get to walk away. Neither does Taylor, Connor or Craig. But the shooter does. But he shouldn’t. I’d feel more hope if we had a system where the criminal pays for his crimes and damages to his victims, Connor and others.”
spazzano@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/local-ne...ntre-shooting-still-struggles-sentencing-told
Sam Pazzano Courts Bureau
Published:
August 7, 2019
Updated:
August 7, 2019 6:14 AM EDT
With a short burst of gunfire, Eaton Centre killer Christopher Husbands killed two men and severely injured several others — including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head but miraculously survived.
At the sentencing hearing, the young boy’s father Craig Stevenson read his dramatic victim impact statement and relived the unforgettable moment on June 2, 2012 when Husbands shattered the calm of a downtown mall by firing 14 bullets.
“BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG,” shouted Stevenson, his repetitive interpretation of gunshots jolting an otherwise subdued courtroom.
“Connor’s life and our lives changed forever when in a split-second,” Connor’s father continued.
“Christopher Husbands unloaded a full clip of 14 bullets into a busy food court, hitting Connor in the head.”
In February, Husbands was convicted of two counts of manslaughter — but acquitted of second-degree murder — in the shooting deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 25.
A jury also convicted him of five counts of aggravated assault, plus two other gun offences, for injuring innocent bystanders like Connor Stevenson.
Four years ago, Husbands was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 30 years, the first of this sentence in Ontario.
Those convictions and sentence were quashed on appeal and a second trial was ordered.
On the day of the shooting, Craig Stevenson rushed to Sick Kids Hospital to discover his wife Jo-Anne and daughter Taylor both covered head-to-toe in Connor’s blood.
The 13-year-old was fighting for his life with a shattered skull.
A third of Connor’s skull had to be surgically removed to extract the bullet from his brain.
He had to wear a helmet to attend his Grade 8 graduation.
To illustrate the enormous impact the crime had on Connor’s life, his father showed photos of his then-dynamic 12-year-old son in 2011 — a year before the devastating shooting — while he read his statement.
MANDEL: Christopher Husbands describes traumatic stabbing that led to Eaton Centre shooting
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
Eaton Centre killer suffered from PTSD but was shooting for revenge
Eaton Centre gunman awaits April sentencing hearing
Connor played hockey, rugby and lacrosse and was the adventurous, thrill-seeking life of the party, recalled Craig.
Connor, now 20, will never play those sports again as he cannot risk another head injury or exert himself.
“A hit to his head would likely mean certain death,” stated his mom, Jo-Anne Finney in her statement.
“Because of Connor’s extreme will to live and the brave acts of first responders, he survived the Eaton Centre shoot-up.
“Connor’s childhood was taken away. His days are now spent in his room,” Craig said.
“Behind a closed door, Connor spends the life sentence that Christopher Husbands delivered to him.”
Crown attorneys John Cisorio and Mary Humphrey are seeking a life sentence for Husbands with no chance of parole for 10 years.
His lawyers, Dirk Derstine and Stephanie DiGiuseppe haven’t revealed what they consider an appropriate sentence.
The Crown is also appealing the acquittal on the murder charges.
Prosecutors argued Husbands sought revenge for a Feb. 2012 stabbing where he was ambushed and stabbed by several men — and blamed Nirmalendran for instigating it.
Husbands’ shooting rampage was a form of “street justice” after he refused to cooperate with police investigating the violent attack on him, court heard.
The sentencing hearing resumes Wednesday.
Derstine and DiGiuseppe said Husbands was in a dissociative state as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder and “reacted instinctively without forming the intent to kill.”
Husbands’ PTSD was triggered by a chance encounter with some of those responsible for stabbing him, according to the defence.
The Crown accepted Husbands had PTSD as a result of his stabbing, but said he was in control throughout the attack — noting that doctors who assessed him were split on whether he experienced dissociation.
Derstine said the public has a greater understanding of PTSD and its effects than they did during his 2014 trial.
Connor’s family say they have been re-victimized by the process over the past seven years.
“We were innocent victims in June 2012 when we walked into the Eaton Centre beside a gunman. We were victimized again when the first trial was thrown out … and I felt victimized again when we were denied participation in the second trial,” said Finney.
“Connor, Taylor, Craig and I are victims of this process and everyone involved in it. There will be no justice for Connor or us.”
“There’s no end in sight for Connor or our family. We’ll keep suffering through the time and costs of medical complications, brain injury complications, counsellors, therapists and experts to give Connor the best life possible,” said the mom.
“I don’t get to walk away. Neither does Taylor, Connor or Craig. But the shooter does. But he shouldn’t. I’d feel more hope if we had a system where the criminal pays for his crimes and damages to his victims, Connor and others.”
spazzano@postmedia.com
Buddy, till you have put the safety on, and hammered a lose grounding spike into the baked clay and gravel of an Ontario sideroad parking lot, while being pelted by softball sized hail in a July thunderstorm, with a browning 9mm Hi Power...
you have NOT lived.
I guess you have never looked at how the piston in a gasoline engine actually works, have you?
Last edited:
MANDEL: Eaton Centre killer will get a second chance at life too soon
Michele Mandel
Published:
November 29, 2019
Updated:
November 29, 2019 8:13 PM EST
In just over a year, Eaton Centre killer Christopher Husbands will be able to apply for parole — despite murdering two people and injuring six others.
He’ll have a chance, albeit a slim one, at a new life. A chance to put this all behind him — all while he is young and healthy.
And Connor Stevenson? He’ll never have a similar do-over.
The Sheridan College student will still have that traumatic brain injury. One-third of his skull will still be plastic. He will still have bullet shrapnel in his head. And he’ll still be living with the constant fear that if he falls and hits his head, he will die.
But then there is rarely justice for victims in the justice system.
Boy shot in Eaton Centre the one with 'life sentence,' gunman's hearing told
Crown to seek life sentence for Eaton Centre shooter
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
How fortunate it all has played out for a cold-blooded killer who opened fire in a busy food court on that June evening in 2012 , bent on revenge and without concern for whomever would be cut down in his way.
Did we mention that he was on bail at the time and under strict house arrest?
Two people died in that chaotic mass shooting in the heart of the city. But with 14 bullets flying, it could have been so many more.
Craig Stevenson thought he was about to lose a second child that day. He and his wife, Jo-Anne Finney, had an 18-month-old son who died tragically from an illness. Now Connor was fighting for his life.
“You never get to walk away from the visual of your son lying on the ground bleeding out and thinking that your son is going to die,” he recalls.
At Husbands’ first trial, a jury rightly convicted him on two counts of second-degree murder and he was sentenced to an automatic life term with no eligibility for parole for 30 years. But a legal technicality — a trial judge’s error in the method of jury selection — would win him a second trial.
This time, he was convicted only of manslaughter in the deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, and numerous other charges for the injuries to six bystanders.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Brian O’Marra sentenced Husbands to life in prison on the manslaughter charge — but manslaughter carries an eligibility for parole after seven years. With the increased credit the judge gave him for the “harsh” time Husbands has served — both at the Don Jail and later at Toronto East Detention Centre — he’s already served the equivalent of 10 years.
For five counts of aggravated assault and one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm, O’Marra sentenced him to a concurrent term of 14 years less his 10 years of pre-sentence custody. Now 30, Husbands can apply for parole after serving one-third of the four years he has left — in 16 months.
“It’s all based on what is fair for the criminal,” complains Connor’s dad. “It doesn’t take into consideration what was fair to all the people who were shot.”
Husbands claimed he wasn’t criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after an ambush four months earlier by Nirmalendran and his cohorts that left him with 20 stab wounds.
http://torontosun.com/news/local-news/eaton-centre-shooter-sentenced-to-life-in-prison
Michele Mandel
Published:
November 29, 2019
Updated:
November 29, 2019 8:13 PM EST
In just over a year, Eaton Centre killer Christopher Husbands will be able to apply for parole — despite murdering two people and injuring six others.
He’ll have a chance, albeit a slim one, at a new life. A chance to put this all behind him — all while he is young and healthy.
And Connor Stevenson? He’ll never have a similar do-over.
The Sheridan College student will still have that traumatic brain injury. One-third of his skull will still be plastic. He will still have bullet shrapnel in his head. And he’ll still be living with the constant fear that if he falls and hits his head, he will die.
But then there is rarely justice for victims in the justice system.
Boy shot in Eaton Centre the one with 'life sentence,' gunman's hearing told
Crown to seek life sentence for Eaton Centre shooter
Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands guilty of manslaughter
How fortunate it all has played out for a cold-blooded killer who opened fire in a busy food court on that June evening in 2012 , bent on revenge and without concern for whomever would be cut down in his way.
Did we mention that he was on bail at the time and under strict house arrest?
Two people died in that chaotic mass shooting in the heart of the city. But with 14 bullets flying, it could have been so many more.
Craig Stevenson thought he was about to lose a second child that day. He and his wife, Jo-Anne Finney, had an 18-month-old son who died tragically from an illness. Now Connor was fighting for his life.
“You never get to walk away from the visual of your son lying on the ground bleeding out and thinking that your son is going to die,” he recalls.
At Husbands’ first trial, a jury rightly convicted him on two counts of second-degree murder and he was sentenced to an automatic life term with no eligibility for parole for 30 years. But a legal technicality — a trial judge’s error in the method of jury selection — would win him a second trial.
This time, he was convicted only of manslaughter in the deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, and numerous other charges for the injuries to six bystanders.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Brian O’Marra sentenced Husbands to life in prison on the manslaughter charge — but manslaughter carries an eligibility for parole after seven years. With the increased credit the judge gave him for the “harsh” time Husbands has served — both at the Don Jail and later at Toronto East Detention Centre — he’s already served the equivalent of 10 years.
For five counts of aggravated assault and one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm, O’Marra sentenced him to a concurrent term of 14 years less his 10 years of pre-sentence custody. Now 30, Husbands can apply for parole after serving one-third of the four years he has left — in 16 months.
“It’s all based on what is fair for the criminal,” complains Connor’s dad. “It doesn’t take into consideration what was fair to all the people who were shot.”
Husbands claimed he wasn’t criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after an ambush four months earlier by Nirmalendran and his cohorts that left him with 20 stab wounds.