The man accused of opening fire on Meriem Boundaoui, the teenager killed in a shooting in Montreal two years ago, was unable to secure his provisional release on Wednesday. Judge Eric Downs points out that “this unprovoked gun violence has shocked the population”.
Updated yesterday at 3:43pm.
“Armed violence has increased significantly in Montreal. The abnormal ease with which some obtain and use weapons is shocking to the community,” the judge said in his 64-page decision. Most of the verdict is banned from publication.
Aymane Bouadi, a 27-year-old Montrealer, will therefore remain in custody until the end of his trial. In addition to first-degree murder, he is charged with four attempted murders. His co-defendant Salim Touaibi was not affected by this request and remains in detention.
Quebec was outraged by the death of Meriem Boundaoui in February 2021. The 15-year-old girl was shot and killed after shots were fired from a moving car near the Jean-Talon and Valdombre intersection in the Saint-Léonard district.
The “Guy of Yaniso”
At the beginning of his decision, the judge summarizes the theory of the crown. Accordingly, Aymane Bouadi and Salim Touaibi were masked and traveling in a white Mercedes C300.
The driver, Salim Touaibi, then approached a witness at an intersection and asked him if he was the “Yaniso guy.” When the witness said yes, Aymane Bouadi, the passenger, fired his gun, prosecutors claim. A total of seven shots were fired at the group of people who had gathered around or in a Jetta vehicle, the verdict said.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVE
Celebration in February 2022 to mark the first anniversary of Meriem Boundaoui’s death
Hit in the head, Meriem Boundaoui had no chance. A survivor of the attack who was outside the Jetta was hit in the back and right side. Luckily he has now recovered.
The two men were arrested after a 16-month police investigation using a number of “sophisticated” means, the judge recalled. The Crown wants to prove the guilt of the accused by “extensive evidence”.
In hopes of being released, Aymane Bouadi offered to live with one of her sisters. Several members of his siblings said they were willing to post bail. These guarantees apparently did not convince the judge, who concluded that his release was not “justified”.
The Crown argued that Aymane Bouadi’s detention was necessary to ensure his presence in court, ensure the protection of the public and not undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.
“The family members are very happy and relieved,” Crown Prosecutor Me Nadia Bérubé said at the end of the hearing. She teams up with Me Simon Lapierre. The accused is defended by Me Martin Latour.