Watch above: (WARNING: Graphic content. Discretion is strongly advised) This video allegedly shows Christopher Husbands opening fire on a group of men during the June 2, 2012 incident.
TORONTO – The man accused of killing two people during a mass shooting at the Eaton Centre admits he pulled the trigger but is still pleading not guilty.
Christopher Husbands has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault stemming from the June, 2012 shooting in the food court of the downtown Toronto mall.
His lawyer Dirk Derstine argues his client didn’t have the intent to kill needed to prove a first-degree murder charge.
Derstine, who also represented Michael Rafferty, the man convicted of killing Tori Stafford, said the jury will have to decide whether Husbands was at the mall that day intending to kill two people.
“He was there buying skates and enjoying himself at the SportChek,” Derstine told reporters outside of court Friday. “It will be the position of the defense that he was not there to shoot anyone that day.”
WATCHi: Mark Carcasole reports on the first day of the trial of Christopher Husbands.
The crown lawyer, however, said Husbands had every intention of killing his victims.
“There was only one shooter. There was only one person seen with a firearm,” prosecutor Mary Humphrey told court in her opening statement.
Humphrey went on to say there was no argument before the shooting. Husbands said “What’s up?” to a group of people and then started shooting, she said.
“He pulled out his gun and emptied 14 rounds towards his targets.”
Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, were both shot. Hassan died at the mall and Nirmalendran died in hospital several days later. Four others were injured, including a 13-year-old boy and a pregnant woman.
Husbands, who was 23 years old and on house arrest at the time, turned himself into police two days after the shooting.
On top of the various charges, Husbands is also the target of several civil lawsuits filed on the families’ behalf.
– With files from The Canadian Press and Mark Carcasole
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