Eaton Centre shooter wanted ‘street justice’

TORONTO — A man opened fire at Toronto’s Eaton Centre six years ago as a form of “street justice” in retaliation for being stabbed months before, a murder trial heard Monday.

Christopher Husbands, 29, is accused of shooting at a group of young men at the mall’s food court on June 2, 2012, killing two of them and injuring six others caught in the crossfire.

Husbands has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include two counts of second-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault, one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm.

Crown attorney Mary Humphrey told the jury that Husbands wanted retribution for being attacked in February.

“It is the Crown theory that he had a simple plan to shoot them when he saw them,” Humphrey said. “It is the Crown theory that he wanted to execute his own street justice.”

Humphrey said Ahmed Hassan, 24, died on the floor of the food court while Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, died in hospital nine days later due to complications from a bullet wound.

Innocent bystanders hurt in the shooting included a 13-yearold boy who was shot in the head and survived, and a pregnant woman who was trampled in the ensuing stampede as shoppers ran for their lives, she said.

Humphrey said the Crown will show that Husbands and Nirmalendran used to be friends. Husbands, she said, confided in a girlfriend that Nirmalendran was among his attackers on Feb. 28, 2012. Humphrey said there are multiple possibilities why Husbands was stabbed that night.

The judge told the jury that Husbands faced a previous trial, but did not say what the outcome was or why he was being retried.

Humphrey said the jury would see extensive video evidence of the shooting and hear how police tracked down Husbands.

She said video shows Husbands standing near a restaurant while his girlfriend bought food. Then, a group of five men walked by Husbands, who yelled out at them. It was 6:22 p.m.

Husbands ran toward the group and pulled a gun from his satchel and fired 14 bullets into the crowd, she said.

The gun has never been found.