Federal government paying for funeral of 4 people slain in Nova Scotia tragedy

OTTAWA — The federal government confirmed it will pay for the funerals of four people found dead in a Nova Scotia home last Tuesday.

However Veteran’s Affairs officials would not elaborate further Saturday on details of the payment for the services for Lionel Desmond, his wife, mother and daughter.

Media reports quote family members as saying they were told Saturday afternoon that the government would cover funeral costs.

Police have said Desmond shot his 31-year-old wife Shauna, their 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah and his mother Brenda Desmond, 52, in their home in Upper Big Tracadie before killing himself.

Family members have said the former soldier was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour in Afghanistan in 2007, and had received treatment from the military.

An online fundraising campaign to help pay for the Desmond family’s funeral expenses had raised nearly $22,000 in donations by Saturday evening. The gofundme.com campaign aimed at raising $30,000.

Obituaries posted on an Antigonish funeral home website said a visitation for Desmond and his mother was to be held on Tuesday in Tracadie, N.S. Funeral services were planned for Wednesday. There was no immediate word on the arrangements for Desmond’s slain wife and child.

The obituary for Lionel Desmond said he “succumbed to the tortures of PTSD” relating to his service in Afghanistan. It described him as having a friendly demeanour and a contagious smile.

His mother’s obituary described her as an “avid bingo player” who was well known for her smile and laughter.