A Vancouver man accused of committing murder at the Rockland shopping centre is being tried in front of a jury. Multiple cameras — including some in cars — recorded what happened.
Maxime Lenoir was well-known to police, according to the prosecutors. In august 2022, Lenoir received a text message to meet someone at the Rockland shopping centre.
A man is then seen jumping out of a black Mazda and shoots Lenoir several times, who would then die in hospital. The shooter and an accomplice leave the scene.
The car and the murder weapon were found a few blocks away in Town of Mount Royal, but there were witnesses at the scene.
According to the prosecution, one of them happened to be an RCMP officer who recognized Lenoir. Another person also witnessed the crime behind the wheel of his Tesla, and the car’s built-in cameras even recorded the scene. That video is expected to be presented to the jury later this week.
Investigators were able to establish the route used by the suspect through cellular phones.
The crown told the jury Wednesday that two days after the shooting, one of the two suspects, Samuel Chand, boarded a plane to Vancouver.
He was arrested there several months later.
The prosecution says there is no known connection between Chand and Lenoir, but told the jury that the “debate will center on the identity of the shooter.”
On the second day of the trial, the jury heard from a crime-scene technician. It will continue tomorrow.
