A Montreal jury has convicted one of two men charged in the 2021 drive-by shooting death of a teenage girl, while acquitting his alleged accomplice of all charges.
Salim Touaibi, 29, was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder in the killing of 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui. The conviction carries an automatic life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years.
Meanwhile, Aymane Bouadi, 30, walked free from the Montreal courthouse after being acquitted on all charges, reuniting with family members who had waited years for the verdict.
The February 7, 2021 shooting occurred in Montreal's St-Léonard borough when Boundaoui was sitting in the passenger seat of a Volkswagen Jetta. A white Mercedes carrying two men pulled alongside the vehicle, and one occupant opened fire, striking the high school student fatally in the head.
The tragedy sent shockwaves through Quebec's Algerian community and sparked renewed calls for action against gun violence. Montreal's mayor and police chief subsequently announced the creation of a specialized police unit to target gun trafficking, following Boundaoui's death and two other teen fatalities that same year.
Parking dispute escalated to violence
During the two-month trial, jurors learned that Boundaoui was an innocent bystander caught in a conflict between two family businesses. The dispute stemmed from disagreements over parking spaces between a family operating a barbershop on Jean-Talon Street and another family running a grocery store across the street.
Tensions had been building for months before the shooting, with grocery store owners becoming increasingly frustrated that barbershop customers were using their parking lot.
Touaibi admitted during testimony that he was the shooter but claimed he was unaware Boundaoui or anyone else was in the Jetta when he fired. He acknowledged knowing about the business conflict but said his role was limited to attempting to mediate the dispute.
His defence team argued Touaibi fired toward the vehicle out of fear for his own safety and to frighten others nearby, rather than with intent to kill.
Contrasting verdicts raise questions
The split verdict has drawn attention from legal observers. Marc Labelle, one of Touaibi's lawyers, questioned how the jury could find premeditated murder against one defendant while completely acquitting the other man who was in the same vehicle.
"Admitting to being the shooter is the act, now in criminal law you also have to find that there was a sufficient intention," Labelle told reporters. "And that's where the problem is between the two verdicts."
Labelle said his client will decide whether to appeal the conviction.
Bouadi's defence successfully argued their client was merely a "passive" passenger who had accompanied his friend to get food and should not be held responsible for the shooting. His lawyer, Martin Latour, said Bouadi remained confident in the justice system throughout the lengthy legal process.
"My client is relieved, but the faith he had in our justice system was quite impressive," Latour said. "I never saw him lose heart in recent months, and finally, his faith was rewarded this morning."
The jury deliberated for eight days before reaching their verdicts Thursday morning, concluding a case that highlighted the tragic consequences of escalating disputes and the innocent lives lost to gun violence.
This story is based on reporting by David Chen for Global News. Read the original article at globalnews.ca.
