Two seniors are dead and nine other people are injured after a truck driver deliberately mowed down pedestrians on a Quebec sidewalk, Canadian authorities believe.
Steeve Gagnon, 38, reportedly appeared to smirk as police escorted him past upset locals and into a courthouse in Amqui, Quebec.
“He’s smiling,” said one witness observed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
The alleged Monday afternoon rampage killed Gérald Charest, 65, and Jean Lafrenière, 73, while landing three people in critical condition. A baby and a toddler were among the others injured, according to the CBC.
Witnesses said Gagnon’s pickup truck jumped onto a sidewalk outside a brewery around 3 p.m., where he allegedly accelerated toward pedestrians. Ken Moreau thanks quick reflexes and a lamppost for his well-being.
“I just had the time to jump to safety, and he smashed everyone who was on the sidewalk,” Moreau told the CBC. “The man right in front of me didn’t have a chance.”
He believes that man was one of the fatalities.
Local resident Daniel Thériault said Tuesday he had known Charest and Lafrenière for 30 years. The two victims were known to take walks together.
“I am very angry,” Thériault said. “We don’t often know this kind of tragedy. ... I know these people.”
It’s unclear what might have motivated Gagnon, who the CBC said pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2006. Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel warned against making assumptions about the suspect’s mental state. He entered no plea Tuesday and will remain jailed while awaiting his next court date.
Investigators said Gagnon’s alleged victims appear to have been chosen at random. Amqui, Quebec, has a population of 6,000.
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