Dawson College shooting

Coordinates: 45°29′22″N 73°35′14″W / 45.48944°N 73.58722°W / 45.48944; -73.58722
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Dawson College shooting
People laying down flowers at the de Maisonneuve entrance
LocationMontreal, Quebec, Canada
Coordinates45°29′22″N 73°35′14″W / 45.48944°N 73.58722°W / 45.48944; -73.58722
DateWednesday, September 13, 2006
12:42 p.m.-1:02 p.m. (UTC-4)
Attack type
School shooting, spree shooting, murder-suicide
WeaponsBeretta Cx4 Storm semiautomatic carbine
Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol
Norinco HP9-1 short pump-action shotgun
Deaths2 (including the perpetrator)
Injured
19
PerpetratorKimveer Singh Gill

The Dawson College shooting was a school shooting on September 13, 2006. It took place at the Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Kimveer Gill, a twenty-five year old Indo-Canadian, shot 20 people and killed 1 person as well as himself (suicide) after being shot in the arm by a police officer.[1]

Gill had a Vampirefreaks.com profile and mentioned the song "À Tout le Monde" by thrash metal band Megadeth on the day of the shooting. News outlets blamed Megadeth for the shooting. Later in 2006, Megadeth performed a live concert in Montreal and responded to the blame they and their music received. Lead singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine said to the crowd:

"The guy who went to Dawson College and shot everyone, it's terrible. Aside from the fact that what he did was wrong, we have a relationship with Montreal, and that really pissed us off."[2]

Mustaine was also interviewed by CBC News before Megadeth's concert and said :

"I was so angry that this guy would use my song, and that he would try and turn that beautiful song into something ugly and nasty. It's for those who lost their lives, and it's a gift to those who are in the process of healing (...) and Gill was not worthy of being a Megadeth fan."[2]

The attack[change | change source]

Gill drove to the college campus and parked his car. Bystanders saw that Gill took weapons out of his trunk. He took a person as a hostage and forced him to carry a bag which had a fourth gun and more ammunition in it. Gill shot at students that were outside on the steps of the college near the rear entrance. The hostage ran away with Gill's bag and hid it.[3]

Gill entered the school and went to the cafeteria. He walked to the corner of the room and shot students that were standing in front of him. He ordered the students to lie on the floor and shot at more students. Two police officers that were visiting the school at the time because of an unrelated incident rushed to the cafeteria after hearing the gunfire. More officers surrounded the college and Gill took two more people hostage. Officer Denis Côté shot him in the arm and Gill killed himself.[1] The officers tried to bring him back to life but they failed.[4]

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Montreal gunman killed himself: autopsy". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Megadeth Criticize Fan Who Shot Up Dawson College". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  3. "Le geste de Kimveer Gill était prémédité". TVA Nouvelles. Canadian Online Explorer (in French). Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  4. "Montreal gunman called himself 'angel of death'". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2014-01-09.