A man released following Justin Trudeau’s soft on gun crime policies has killed a woman and put her husband in the hospital.
Nakita Baron, 31, was fatally shot in her Bentley in the southwest Calgary community of Evergreen on August 18. Her husband, Talal Fouani, 46, remains in the hospital. Fouani was out on bail awaiting trial on organized crime charges, the CBC reports.
Court documents show a Sherwood Park man is accused of committing nine offences, including assault with a weapon, pointing a firearm, and possessing a prohibited firearm — charges that date back to just two weeks before the killing.
Calgary police laid charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder against Michael Tyrel Arnold, 34, on Friday.
Arnold was charged with second-degree murder stemming from a 2019 homicide of a 45-year-old man in Edmonton two years ago. That charge was stayed after a preliminary hearing for unknown reasons.
Police laid the assault and firearms charges in early August but could not locate Arnold. Warrants were issued for his arrest. Arnold was not arrested until August 25.
The accused also has a history with drug trafficking, breaching court conditions and was subject to a lifetime firearms ban.
After Arnold was convicted of trafficking in 2018, a 2.5-year sentence was imposed. He was given a four-year sentence for drug trafficking and evading police in 2014.
Arnold remains in custody and will be back in court in September, CBC reports.
Last year, the Trudeau Liberals passed Bill C-22, which reduced the severity of gun crime like illegal firearm possession, gun trafficking, and discharging a firearm with intent. Trudeau also reduced prison time for those who use firearms in a robbery.
Meanwhile, Trudeau is increasing regulations for law-abiding gun owners.
Earlier this month, Trudeau’s Safety Minister announced that Canada is banning most handgun imports until Bill C-21 is passed. Bill C-21 will implement a national freeze on handgun ownership, meaning it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada.
“In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns,” Trudeau said in a May 30 announcement.
