2012 Montreal shooting

On the night of September 4, 2012, the Parti Québécois won the Quebec general election, with a minority government. Party leader Pauline Marois was partway through her victory speech to her supporters, gathered at the Métropolis in downtown Montreal, when a masked man approached the building and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing one stage technician and injuring another. The man then attempted to set fire to the building with a Molotov cocktail, but was quickly tackled and apprehended by Montreal police, in a nearby alley.

The Sûreté du Québec announced that the shooting would be investigated as a potential attempted assassination on Marois, the then-premier-designate.

Details
A heavyset man wearing a blue bathrobe and black balaclava approached the back door of the Métropolis theatre with a 9mm Luger P08 semiautomatic pistol and a Česká Zbrojovka-858 semiautomatic rifle. Initial eyewitness reports claimed the rifle was an AK-47 assault rifle, which is similar in appearance to the semiautomatic CZ-858. The man opened fire, killing Denis Blanchette, a 48-year-old male stage technician. His 27-year-old colleague, Dave Courage, was critically wounded.

Marois was whisked away from the stage without harm by her bodyguards, and the suspect was apprehended and arrested, shortly after he had started a fire at the back entrance of the building. Several families living in the area had to be evacuated out of their homes due to the fire, which was quickly doused.

Suspect
The suspect is Richard Henry Bain, 62, from La Conception, Laurentides, Quebec. Police searched Bain's vehicle and found a 9mm Beretta pistol, a .357 Magnum revolver, a .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle, and more lighter fluid and gas canisters that could have been used for the fire.

Bain is facing 16 charges, including one first-degree murder and three of attempted murder; the remnant charges are related to arson and weapons violations. In several of the multiple court hearings, Bain claimed that Jesus Christ is his lawyer, but despite losing his legal aid lawyer, he is currently looking for a new lawyer as well as reading up on the criminal code to represent himself. The next hearing will be on March 12.

Official reaction
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated that he was 'shocked and saddened' by the shooting, and that "such violence has no place in Canada". At a party caucus meeting in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair issued the following statement: "Our first thoughts are with the victims and their families and those that were close to them. We're going to continue to let the police do their work before commenting any further on these tragic events." On September 6, it was reported that Denis Blanchette would be given a civic funeral. The funeral was held on September 10, with Marois and former premier Bernard Landry among the dignitaries in attendance. Équipe Spectra also organized a benefit concert in memory of Blanchette, with funds to support Blanchette's four-year-old daughter.