A stagehand who survived the 2012 Quebec election night shooting that killed a colleague testified today at a civil trial over the police response at the event.
Guillaume Parisien described how he was called at the last minute to help take down the stage at Montreal’s Metropolis concert hall, arriving not long before the shooting began on the night of Sept. 4, 2012.
Richard Henry Bain was convicted in 2016 on one count of second-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder for the shooting outside the Metropolis as premier-designate Pauline Marois delivered a victory speech inside.
Lighting technician Denis Blanchette was killed in the attack, and a second technician, David Courage, was injured after being struck by the same bullet.
Parisien described to the court the events of that night when Blanchette’s body fell on top of him after the shooting.
He told the court he has struggled with alcohol and drug problems since September 2012 and described the shame, anger, stress and nightmares he experienced after the shooting.
Parisien and three other survivors who witnessed the attack claim Montreal police and Quebec provincial police failed to properly secure the event and are seeking $125,000 each, as well as several thousand dollars each for therapy and a lump sum of $100,000 in punitive damages.
