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 experts in epidemiology, mathematics and data analysis from three universities in B.C. and the private sector say that age group had half the case rate earlier this year relative to those who are older, but that risk may rise.
Yukon Premier Sandy Silver says there were multiple victims after the RCMP responded to reports of an active shooter Tuesday in the town of Faro but there is no longer a safety threat to the community.
The issue is top of mind as an all-party committee decided last week that members of Parliament will need to be double vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption to take their seat in the House of Commons.
The Vatican said in a statement that the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops invited the Pope to travel to Canada in the "context of the long-standing pastoral process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples."
Vancouver police said in a series of posts on social media last week that there were 1,555 "unprovoked, stranger assaults" involving 1,705 victims reported between Sept. 1, 2020, and Aug. 31 this year.
“Anmol’s family is extremely concerned for his safety, and says disappearing in such a manner is not in his character,” says Cris Leykauf, spokesperson for Delta Police. She notes the family only moved to North Delta three months from outside BC, so Anmol is not that familiar with the area.
