The man behind a deadly shooting at a Vancouver Island sawmill was sentenced to life in prison without any eligibility for parole for 25 years on Friday.
Kevin Addison was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the attack that killed Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern, his former colleagues, at the Western Forest Products mill in Nanaimo on April 30, 2014.
Addison was also charged with attempted murder in the wounding of Tony Sudar and Earl Kelly.
During a three-week trial in September, the Crown argued that Addison was motivated by revenge after he was laid off by the company and not rehired two years later.
But Addison’s defence lawyer said his client’s violent actions were the result of his severe depression and that he never intended to kill anyone, and should be convicted of manslaughter instead.
READ MORE: B.C. mill shooter was depressed: defence lawyer
It took the jury only 24 hours to return a guilty verdict for Addison.
WATCH – From the archives: Guilty verdict in a Nanaimo mill shooting that left two people dead and two others injured. Catherine Urquhart has more on the decision and reaction.
Today, the judge said Addison’s conduct has shocked and dismayed the residents of the city, province and country, calling what happened “an ambush in a workplace, where people were going about their daily affairs.”
The court also heard from the families of Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern about how the shooting changed their lives.
Michael Lunn’s daughter, Marley, said her dad was her hero.
“My dad said life goes on,” she said. “We will go on. I will remember him always.”
Lunn’s daughter-in-law, Kendra, said many families were torn apart by the violence committed by Addison.
“Nanaimo lost its innocence,” she said. “Workplace violence needs to end.”
-With files from the Canadian Press