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.
Talks on Wednesday between Unifor Local 114 and BC Transit contractor PW Transit were the first in weeks, prompting hopes of movement in the job action that began three-and-half months ago.
During the investigation, officers located a handgun, ammunition, $1,455 in Canadian currency, 550 grams of suspected fentanyl, 140 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 18 grams of suspected crack cocaine and 45 grams of unknown pills.
Glumac, the member for Port Moody-Coquitlam, stood in the legislature to acknowledge all the partners who support the unique work that politicians in the legislature do, saying it certainly isn’t a normal job.
Justice Geoffrey Gomery says in his ruling that Webster had suffered from schizophrenia for years and bludgeoned his sleeping mother because he believed family members wanted to kill him and steal the inheritance he had received from his grandmother.
Police quickly arrived in the area and located the two suspects who fled in separate directions. A foot pursuit ensued and one of the suspects allegedly threw a loaded firearm into a bush as he was running from police. The suspect was taken into police custody and the firearm was located.
Investigators say 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and 76-year-old Joanne De Jong were found dead in a home on Monday. A statement from police says it's unclear if the killings were random or targeted.
