A Quebec jury found Steeve Gagnon guilty on all charges related to the deadly truck attack in Amqui that killed three people and injured nine others.
The verdict came Saturday after two days of jury deliberations. The jury convicted Gagnon, 40, of three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
The court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
The victims included 65-year-old Gérald Charest, 73-year-old Jean Lafrenière, and 41-year-old Simon-Guillaume Bourget. Additionally, several children were among the nine people who suffered injuries.
Justice Louis Dionne condemned the crimes as “senseless and heinous,” telling Gagnon that his actions were “incomprehensible.”
According to the Crown, Gagnon carried out the attack out of deep frustration with his life. Prosecutors presented video evidence in which Gagnon described plans to use his truck to kill children. After discovering the school was empty, he chose to drive down a busy street instead and struck pedestrians.
Witnesses reported that Gagnon smiled after the attack and then turned himself in to police. Although his defense argued the incident resulted from distraction, the jury did not accept that explanation.
Following the verdict, prosecutor Simon Blanchette read a letter from Bourget’s parents describing their grief. “This nameless act plunged us into a horrible nightmare,” they wrote.
Gagnon’s trial, which started in May, featured testimony from 48 witnesses and included several courtroom outbursts. During sentencing, the judge urged him to reflect on the suffering he caused. He also expressed hope that Gagnon would eventually seek rehabilitation.
