An inquiry in Nova Scotia investigating why a mentally ill former soldier killed three family members and himself is learning details about firearms licensing from the province’s chief firearms officer.
John Parkin told the inquiry today how licence applications are handled and how his office carries out investigations when concerns are raised about public safety.
READ MORE: Lionel Desmond’s wife raised questions about peace bond same day as slayings
The fatality inquiry, which started in late January, has been tasked with determining what led Afghanistan war veteran Lionel Desmond to fatally shoot his mother, wife and 10-year-old daughter in the family’s home in Big Tracadie, Nova Scotia, on Jan. 3, 2017.
Among other things, the inquiry is looking into how, earlier that day, Desmond managed to legally buy the semi-automatic, military-style rifle he used in the killings.
The inquiry has heard that just over a year earlier, Desmond was forced to hand over all of his firearms to police after he indicated to his wife he was preparing to kill himself in New Brunswick in November 2015.
However, the former corporal – diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2011 – managed to have his firearms returned and his licence reinstated in May 2016 after a doctor in New Brunswick filled out a brief medical assessment that confirmed Desmond was not a threat to himself or others.
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