It’s been an emotional day for people in the Nanaimo community who are turning out in large numbers to pay their respects to the two men shot to death at the Western Forest Products mill last week.
At noon today about 1,000 people attended the funeral of 53-year-old Fred McEachern.
McEachern was described by one of his coworkers, Bob Orr, as someone who was always happy to see you and always willing to do things for others.
“He filled up the room when he walked into it,” said Orr.
A service for the second victim, 61-year-old Michael Lunn, at 3 p.m. brought out mourners dressed in red. Due to Lunn loving the colour red, the family asked guests to wear red shirts during the service.
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RAW VIDEO: Remembering Michael Lunn
Although Lunn’s family is still in shock over his death, his niece Charlene Helm said they’re trying to be positive about it.
“My aunt has come up with the Red T-shirt Foundation to bring more awareness to workplace violence, so this doesn’t happen again.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by another of Lunn’s nieces, Elsie Hayes.
“The saddest thing about it is they were all once friends,” an emotional Hayes told Global News. “Even Kevin Addison… ”
“It’s very tragic how it came to this, through grievances and how people could do something like this. So I think for all of the mill and the people involved, it’s a huge effect.”
On April 30, a gunman opened fire at the mill on April 30, four men were shot and two were killed. Former mill employee, 47-year-old Kevin Addison, has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting.
READ MORE: Sawmill manager being hailed a hero for helping end Nanaimo mill shooting
Employees of WFP mill returned to work on May 6.
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