Canadian family grieves for lost niece

MONTREAL – The Newtown school massacre has left a grieving Canadian family, with relatives of one murdered teacher denouncing American gun laws as “revolting.”

The grief from last week’s shooting has particularly affected the Rousseau family in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, which lost a relative.

Several will be going down to Connecticut for the funeral of Lauren Rousseau, a substitute teacher whose father was born in Quebec.

“The only thing I can express is revulsion and anger,” the victim’s uncle, Francois Rousseau, told The Canadian Press in an interview from Disraeli, Que.

“It’s revolting how easy it is to obtain firearms.”

He and several relatives will be heading down for the funeral of his brother’s daughter.

His remarks on gun control echoed those made by the victim’s brother, Matthew Rousseau, who was quoted in a U.K. news report demanding a change to U.S. laws.

Lauren Rousseau, who died last week at age 30, was born in the U.S.

Her Canadian-born father, Gilles Rousseau, told RadioCanada that he wanted to see his daughter’s body but was informed by authorities that it would not be possible.

“Because most people he shot, it was two or three shots in the face, point-blank.”

U.S. President Barack Obama has signalled that he intends to introduce more gun-control measures. But he has not revealed details of his plans.