Three charged with supplying ammo
HALIFAX — Lisa Diana Banfield, the former common-law wife of the April mass shooting gunman, and two other people have been charged by the RCMP with supplying him with ammunition.
In a statement released Friday, RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell said Banfield, 52, of Dartmouth, James Blair Banfield, 64, of Sackville, and Brian Brewster, 60, of Sackville have been charged with unlawfully transferring ammunition to the shooter between March 17 and 18 of this year, contrary to Section 101 of the Criminal Code.
The Chronicle Herald is not naming the shooter.
The three are scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court Jan. 27.
RELATIONSHIPS INVESTIGATED
The alleged transfer of ammunition is listed as .223 caliber Remington cartridges and .40 caliber Smith and Wesson cartridges.
“The gunman's relationships with others was very much a part of this investigation and, as with every piece of information, were analyzed as we pieced together the gunman's actions, motives and the potential for others' involvement,” Campbell said in the statement.
“As a police agency, we cannot, however, dismiss evidence from the investigation that others contributed to the incidents by providing the gunman with the ammunition he used on April 18 and 19.”
Twenty-two people, along with the unborn baby of victim Kristen Beaton, were killed.
Banfield was credited by the RCMP with providing details about the shooter after she came out of hiding on the morning of April 19. She reportedly told police she had escaped after the gunman confined her inside one of his mocked-up police vehicles at the start of his killing spree.
“In April of this year, a gunman took the lives of 22 innocent people and injured three others. The gunman's actions devastated families and forever changed the lives of many,” Campbell said.
“Though the gunman is ultimately responsible for his actions, and can never stand trial, we have a duty to investigate by the same standards that we would if he was alive," his statement said. “In an investigation, there is no room for speculation. Every piece of information we uncovered and received was analyzed, fact checked and corroborated in order to assess the weight, validity and value of the information.”
‘THOUSANDS OF HOURS’
Campbell said RCMP investigators have spent “thousands of hours” by hundreds of RCMP employees working on the case to determine as much as possible about the gunman's actions, his motivation and how he obtained the equipment he used.
“Our investigative objective was also to determine inquiries, actions and standards also centred on gathering evidence to determine what role any individual may have played in terms of having knowledge of the gunman's plan or having assisted him in any way.”
No indication was provided by police of the possible relationship between Lisa Banfield and the two men charged.
“Throughout the investigation, we have been mindful that when we release information publicly, it causes distress for families and others closely associated to those who lost their lives or were injured. Through the assigned RCMP Family Liaison Officers, families have been notified of these charges,” Campbell said.
“Based on the investigation to date in which those charged cooperated, these individuals had no prior knowledge of the gunman's actions on April 18 and 19. In addition, investigators have determined the ammunition was purchased and trafficked in Nova Scotia.”
Campbell also issued a public thank-you to everyone involved in the investigation for “their dedication and resolve” in working the case and said the force will continue to work with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service and its Family Liaison Officers to maintain their relationships and provide support to the victims' families.