The teacher from Alma told Le Quotidien on Saturday about her bad experiences and wanted to raise awareness about the careful use of firearms.
“When it happened, I couldn't imagine that someone could have done this on purpose (…) I'm so used to good use and safety is my top priority. My weapons are always locked in a safe,” explains Ms. Brassard-Gaudreault.
Intimidation over territory? A bad bet? A bad joke? Several hypotheses are possible. Sara-Lee Brassard Gaudreault reiterates that violent events in hunting are too common, although little is known.
Although the cause of the violent event she experienced is unknown, the possible consequences are very real.
“The hole this left in my door suggests he fired from fairly close range. The impact hole is large and I found a lot of bullets in it (…) Based on the angle it was probably aimed at the back seat. This time it was folded, but sometimes we bring animals, children …,” the hunter indicates.
After the events, Sara-Lee Brassard-Gaudreault contacted the police officers of the Sûreté du Québec, who will try to clarify the causes and find those responsible. In her opinion, not all hunters report such an event, but the teacher did not want to let such a dangerous act go unnoticed.
Using a firearm when you have consumed alcohol or drugs should never be done. It's very dangerous. Anything can happen and the consequences are very serious. I don't know if that was the case, but it's not impossible.
–Sara Lee Brassard Gaudreault
Ms. Brassard-Gaudreault posted a message with several photos on social media to raise awareness. The post was shared more than 800 times on Spotted Alma's page before she deleted it because some people wanted to do her justice.
“It was a bit like a loss of control. People wanted to name all the vans that looked like his. “That wasn’t my goal at all,” she explains.
Although emotions are still strong, more than 24 hours after the event, Sara-Lee Brassard-Gaudreault has no plans to engage in the activity “that cemented her relationship with her father.” Since she doesn't want to turn her back on hunting completely in the future, she's thinking about taking a break.
“The shot is like a trauma. I don't think I will dedicate myself to small game hunting again this year (…) I hope that the somewhat poorly hidden secret of hunting violence will become better known in the future. It’s such a great activity but it gets ruined by things like this which are very scary.”