Ottawa, June 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied meddling in an investigation into the 2020 mass shooting, the worst the country's history.
Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been accused of pressuring local officers to help advance Trudeau's gun control plans, the BBC quoted the Halifax Examiner as saying, which was the first to report on the development.
According to the Halifax Examiner, the accusation stemmed from notes made by a local RCMP officer, released as part of a public investigation into the mass shooting on April 18-19, 2020, during which a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
The suspect died in a stand-off with police.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said that his government "did not put any undo influence or pressure" on police.
"It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information," the BBC quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Denying the accusations, Commissioner Lucki said in a statement released on Tuesday that information sharing between the federal government and police is normal during a high-profile event such as a mass shooting.
The RCMP chief however acknowledged that she "should have been more sensitive" in her approach.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called for a debate in the House of Commons, and a parliamentary committee voted on Thursday to hold a hearing into the matter.
In the wake of the deadliest rampage in Canadian history, Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2020 announced an immediate ban on the sale, transportation, importation, or use of some 1,500 makes and models of "military-grade assault-style" weapons.
The victim reported that she was in a change room when she noticed the person in the next stall was recording her with his phone. The victim confronted the suspect, with the support of some other customers, however the suspect was able to flee the store.
Rule changes, including removal of the requirement that fully vaccinated Canadian travellers take a pre-departure COVID-19 molecular test, took effect Monday.
The report from the National Housing Council made public Monday said the three programs under review have done little to help households who live in homes that are too expensive, or too small, for them.
There are 549 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 85 are in intensive care. In the past 72 hours, 22 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,873.
The suspect allegedly approached a 40-year-old woman in her car, made shooting gestures, banged on the vehicle, and tried to open the car door. When she drove away, the suspect allegedly chased the vehicle down the street.
Parties in the case have agreed to move some donated funds and cryptocurrency into escrow, which could be redistributed to affected Ottawa residents and business owners should the class action succeed.
