Preliminary hearing in September for Quebec man accused of killing three with truck

Steeve Gagnon is escorted by police out of court in Amqui, Que., Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Gagnon, a Quebec man accused of deliberately driving his truck into pedestrians in March, will have a preliminary hearing in September. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Amqui, Que. — A Quebec man accused of killing three people with his truck will have a preliminary hearing in September.

Steeve Gagnon appeared today in Quebec court where a judge set a preliminary inquiry for the case between Sept. 5-8.

Gagnon, 38, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and nine counts of attempted murder in connection with the March 13 incident in Amqui, Que., about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

A truck drove into several groups of pedestrians on a main street in the town in what police have described as an intentional act.

The three people killed were Gerald Charest, 65; Jean Lafrenière, 73; and Simon-Guillaume Bourget, 41.

Gagnon, who turned himself into police not long after the alleged attack, showed little emotion today as his case was discussed briefly before Judge Jules Berthelot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2023.