Family and friends of Lionel Desmond are expected to gather Saturday afternoon for a rally – calling on the federal government to make changes
Desmond, 33, was an Afghanistan war veteran. He fatally shot his 10-year-old daughter Aalyiah, wife Shanna, 31, and mother Brenda, 52, in January at the family home in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S. before turning the gun on himself.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia premier not ruling out public inquiry into Desmond murder-suicide
Desmond’s family says he suffered from PTSD before the triple-murder suicide.
They previously said Desmond was a kind and funny person, who changed after a tour in Afghanistan in 2007.
WATCH: ‘I will fix it,’ Lionel Desmond said before Nova Scotia murder-suicides
A Rally for Change will take place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the St Andrews District Community Centre, about 20 minutes from where the tragedy unfolded earlier this year.
The goal of the event is to help educate the public and call on the government to do more for Canadian veterans from one end of the country to the other.
WATCH: Family of Lionel Desmond now believes Nova Scotia Health Authority ‘did the best that they could’
The rally is open to members of the public.
Several speakers, including Cassandra Desmond, Lionel’s sister and Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard are among the speakers scheduled to take part in the event.
READ MORE: Are the Liberals living up to their promises to veterans?
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911. 911 can send immediate help. For a list of available mental health programs and services around Canada, please refer to the list here.
With files from The Canadian Press
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