Preliminary hearing begins for Quebec man charged with killing 3 pedestrians with truck

A preliminary hearing is underway for a Quebec man accused of killing three people with his truck last March.

Steeve Gagnon is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and nine counts of attempted murder in connection with the alleged attack on March 13 in Amqui, Que., about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

A truck drove into several groups of pedestrians on a main street in the town in what police have described as an intentional act.

Gagnon, now 39, turned himself in after the alleged attack, which claimed the lives of 65-year-old Gérald Charest, 73-year-old Jean Lafrenière and 41-year-old Simon-Guillaume Bourget.

The hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial is being heard under a publication ban at the courthouse in Amqui before Quebec court Judge Annick Boivin.

The accused was calm while listening to the witnesses and turned around a few times to look out a window behind him.

Gagnon is represented by defence lawyer Hugo Caissy while the Crown is represented by prosecutors Simon Blanchette and Jérôme Simard.

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