Connection probed between alleged Ottawa gunman and Vancouver

VANCOUVER – Officials will continue to examine the connection between the alleged gunman involved in the shooting in Ottawa and the time he spent in Vancouver.

Thirty-two-year-old Quebec native Michael Zehaf-Bibeau spent a significant amount of time in the Lower Mainland.

He was charged in connection a Vancouver robbery in 2011. Zehaf-Bibeau was seen at the time by a psychiatrist, who found him fit to stand trial. He later pleaded guilty to uttering threats and had criminal convictions in other parts of the country for drug possession.

There’s also a connection to a Burnaby landscaping company where he worked for a short time.

Zehaf-Bibeau converted to Islam two years ago and attended services at a mosque in Burnaby.

“I think our reaction was pretty much the same as everyone else’s,” said Aasim Rashid from the BC Muslim Association. “There was a shock and a bit of anger. I think I felt somewhat outraged that who would dare to do something like this, something so blatant and senseless.”