Sentencing
Gunman Kills Two At Eaton Centre
Toronto, Canada – Gunman Christopher Husbands unleashed a barrage of bullets that killed two men, wounded several others and transformed a bustling Eaton Centre food court into a state of chaos, a Crown attorney said Friday.
Mary Humphrey opened the prosecution’s case against Husbands, 25, who is accused of first-degree murder in the June 2, 2012 shooting rampage that killed Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24.
Husbands was shopping when he saw Nirmalendran, his younger brother, Nisan, Hassan, Ahmed Nuri and Robert Cada, said Humphrey.
No words were exchanged except when Husbands said: “What up? What up p—-?” to Nuri before Nirmalendran walked towards Husbands.
Husbands pulled out his gun and fired 14 bullets. The two homicide victims were shot in the side and back, court heard.
Jury members watched a surveillance video which shows Husbands fire at his prey and walk up to the fallen Nirmalendran.
Husbands aims his weapon with both hands, shoots him twice more and then shoots once with a single hand before sprinting away as panicked patrons flee.
Nuri said Hassan “wasn’t shot face to face with Husbands, he was shot as he turned away holding Nixon’s body up,” added Humphrey.
Hassan died on the food court floor while Nirmalendran clung to life for nine days before succumbing to his injuries.
Husbands, 25, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault against innocent bystanders struck by stray bullets and two other charges stemming from the discharging of his firearm that led to a stampede of the panicked crowd.
Fleeing patrons trampled a pregnant woman, Kessia Frederick. Husbands faces two charges related to her injuries.
Humphrey is asserting the two slayings were planned and deliberate, flowing from Husbands’ animosity towards Nirmalendran.
Only one of the five men in Nirmalendran’s group, Robert Cada, will testify at this trial. Nisan Nirmalendran was killed on March 21, 2013, roughly eight months after he gave police a statement.
Ahmed Nuri fled the country and is unavailable although authorities believe he lives in Africa.
Husbands has admitted he’s the lone gunman at the Urban Eatery and that the shooting was not planned and happened on “on the spur of the moment,” said Justice Eugene Ewaschuk.
Humphrey said Husbands wanted retaliation against these men, especially Nixon Nirmalendran, for an earlier vicious stabbing incident on Feb. 28, 2012 at a vacant east end apartment where Husbands was ambushed and robbed.
sam.pazzano@sunmedia.ca
