Man charged with dangerous driving after 'premeditated' killing of two in Canada

Ottawa: A 38-year-old man was charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death on Tuesday after he ran a pickup truck into pedestrians in the Canadian province of Quebec, killing two elderly men, in what police said was a deliberate act.

Prosecutors told reporters that more charges would be filed as police completed their investigations but said it was too early to talk about possible murder charges.

Nine other people were injured when suspect Steeve Gagnon drove the vehicle into people walking along a road in Amqui, 650 km (400 miles) northeast of Montreal, on Monday.

Police spokesperson Claude Doiron told reporters Gagnon was cooperating in the investigation.

“What the probe shows is the actions were premeditated. (It) also shows that the people were targeted at random,” he said.

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Gagnon, brought into court wearing handcuffs, will next appear before a judge on April 5. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.

Police previously had said the vehicle involved was a van, but on Tuesday clarified it was a pickup truck.

Quebec prosecutor Simon Blanchette told reporters it was too early to speak about a motive. Gagnon had a criminal record from several years earlier but it was not a “heavy” one, he added.

The incident occurred a month after a bus driver was charged with murder after ramming his vehicle into a daycare center in Montreal, killing two children.

“We see these types of events are happening more and more around the world, it’s not unique to us,” Quebec Premier Francois Legault told reporters. He later announced flags across the province would be lowered on Wednesday.

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Federal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “Our thoughts continue to be with the people of Amqui following yesterday’s tragedy”.

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