Latest news with #SteeveGagnon
National Post
22-06-2025
- National Post
Quebec man gets life sentences for 'senseless and heinous' fatal 2023 truck attack
A Quebec man who drove into pedestrians with his pickup truck in a rural town, killing three people and injuring nine others, was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury Saturday. Article content Steeve Gagnon, 40, was immediately sentenced to life in prison minutes after learning his fate as the jury returned following two days of deliberations with unanimous verdicts. Article content Article content Gagnon was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder of three men and two counts of attempted murder of nine other people in March 2023 in Amqui, about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. Article content Article content Three men were killed in the attack: 65-year-old Gerald Charest, 73-year-old Jean Lafreniere and 41-year-old Simon-Guillaume Bourget. The nine who were injured included children. Article content Quebec Superior Court Justice Louis Dionne thanked the jury for their service and sentenced Gagnon to life in prison without possibility of parole for 25 years on the murder charges and 10 years for each of the attempted murder charges, to be served concurrently. Article content 'Your crimes are senseless and heinous; no punishment will be able to bring Gerald, Jean and Simon-Guillaume back to their families or erase the pain and harm caused,' the judge said. Article content 'But we can hope that the trial that has just concluded will go some way toward mourning this tragedy.' Article content Article content Article content The Crown had painted the accused as an angry and frustrated man who was jobless, unhappy with life and struggling with money problems and health issues. Article content Article content It argued the acts that led to the deaths were intentional and premeditated, saying Gagnon had formed and adapted a plan that resulted in pedestrians being run down on the road as he accelerated his truck onto the sidewalk. Article content Prosecutor Simon Blanchette replayed parts of videos Gagnon made on his cellphone two days before, in which he described how he would run down dozens of children with his truck in three Amqui schools and then go wait at the police station. Article content Gagnon drove to a schoolyard just before the fatal drive, Blanchette said, but it was empty since there were no classes that day. So the prosecution said he executed his plan by striking down people on the busy boulevard instead. Article content Gagnon, according to the prosecution, 'developed a plan to take revenge on society.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
Accused in deadly Amqui, Que., truck crash found guilty of murder
Steeve Gagnon has been found guilty of first-degree murder after running down and killing three people with his pickup truck in Amqui, Que., in March 2023. The 12 jurors, who began their deliberations behind closed doors on Friday morning, delivered their verdict at the courthouse in Rimouski, Que., on Saturday evening. Gagnon faced three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder using a motor vehicle. He was found guilty on all five charges. Quebec Superior Court Justice Louis Dionne immediately sentenced Gagnon to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years on the murder charges and 10 years for each of the attempted murder charges, to be served concurrently. Gérald Charest, 65, Jean Lafrenière, 73, and 41-year-old Simon-Guillaume Bourget were killed after being struck by Gagnon's vehicle. It was an emotional scene when families and community members exited the courtroom after the verdict. Some were tearful, while others seemed relieved. Amqui Mayor Sylvie Blanchette told Radio-Canada that people can now turn the page. "It doesn't erase anything," she said in French, "Gérald, Jean and Simon-Guillaume will not be coming back, but at least for the families, it's like a balm on a wound." "The verdict that they were waiting for is the one that came out," she said of the victims' loved ones. Gagnon admitted he was driving the vehicle that struck and killed three people and seriously injured three others, but during his jury trial, the defence argued it was an accident. His lawyer, Hugo Caissy, said Gagnon was driving when he dropped something on the floor of his vehicle, reached down to pick it up, and then lost control of the vehicle and struck the pedestrians. The Crown, however, had argued that Gagnon's actions were premeditated and intentional. The prosecutor pointed to a series of videos Gagnon recorded just two days before the crash, where he described running down children in a schoolyard with his truck. On March 13, 2023, the day of the crash, Gagnon stopped at a schoolyard, but there were no students there because it was a pedagogical day. Six minutes later, the first pedestrian was hit. In order to find Gagnon guilty of first-degree murder, jurors had to conclude that he intentionally ran down those people, and that he planned the crime in advance. "We always believed that that it was first-murder and we were confident in our evidence," Crown prosecutor Simon Blanchette said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the defence has 30 days to appeal the verdict. Caissy wouldn't comment on whether or not it's a path Gagnon will pursue.
CTV News
22-06-2025
- CTV News
Jury finds Quebec man guilty on all charges in 2023 truck attack in Amqui, Que.
Steeve Gagnon is escorted by police into court in Amqui, Que., Tuesday, March 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot RIMOUSKI — A Quebec man has been found guilty of all charges in a 2023 truck attack in a rural community that killed three men and injured nine other people. Forty-year-old Steeve Gagnon learned his fate following two days of deliberations by the jury, who returned with unanimous verdicts this evening. Gagnon was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder of nine other people in March 2023 in Amqui, about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. Quebec Superior Court Justice Louis Dionne immediately sentenced Gagnon to life in prison without possibility of parole for 25 years on the murder charges and 10 years for each of the attempted murder charges, to be served concurrently. The Crown had argued the acts that led to the deaths were intentional and premeditated, saying Gagnon had formed and adapted a plan that resulted in pedestrians being run down on the road as he accelerated his truck onto the sidewalk. The accused, meanwhile, had argued the deaths were an accident in a moment of inattention when he picked up an e-cigarette from the cab of his truck. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
Globe and Mail
21-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Quebec man found guilty in 2023 truck attack that killed three
A Quebec man has been found guilty of three counts of 1st degree murder in the deaths of three men he struck with his truck. Steeve Gagnon learned his fate following two days of deliberation by the jury, who found him guilty on all counts. Gagnon was on trial for three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder of nine other people in March 2023, in Amqui, about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. The Crown had argued the acts that led to the deaths were intentional and premeditated, saying he had formed and adapted a plan that resulted in pedestrians being run down on the road as he accelerated his truck onto the sidewalk. The accused, meanwhile, had argued the deaths were an accident in a moment of inattention when he picked up an e-cigarette from the cab of his truck.
Toronto Sun
21-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
Jury finds Quebec man guilty in 2023 truck attack in Amqui, Que.
Published Jun 21, 2025 • 1 minute read A section of the 500-metre stretch of road where a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians in Amqui, Que., killing two and injuring nine, is shown on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Photo by Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS RIMOUSKI — A Quebec man has been found guilty of three counts of 1st degree murder in the deaths of three men he struck with his truck. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Steeve Gagnon learned his fate following two days of deliberation by the jury, who found him guilty on all counts. Gagnon was on trial for three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder of nine other people in March 2023 in Amqui, about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. The Crown had argued the acts that led to the deaths were intentional and premeditated, saying he had formed and adapted a plan that resulted in pedestrians being run down on the road as he accelerated his truck onto the sidewalk. The accused, meanwhile, had argued the deaths were an accident in a moment of inattention when he picked up an e-cigarette from the cab of his truck. More coming. Columnists World Toronto & GTA Columnists Columnists
