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 St. George church was the target of two incidents of arson, the first on July 14, the second on July 19, 2021, that destroyed the church. Following an investigation by the Surrey RCMP Major Crime Section, a 35-year old woman was arrested on August 26, 2021.
The Conservatives started the day by questioning tax arrears that Liberal candidate Steven Guilbeault disclosed in a parliamentary ethics filing, which the heritage minister later explained to reporters travelling on the campaign stem from his separation and are being resolved.
Emergency Management BC says 28 orders were in place today, covering more than 3,900 properties, while residents of another 6,255 properties were told to be ready to leave on short notice.
Members of the public reported seeing an argument between two groups of males, which escalated into the use of pepper spray and then shots were fired. The males left the area in two separate vehicles prior to police arrival.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole's party started the day by questioning tax arrears that Liberal candidate Steven Guilbeault disclosed in a parliamentary ethics filing.
Upon arrival, officers located a 35 year old male suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower leg who has been transported to a local area hospital in stable condition with non life-threatening injuries.
