A Repentigny, Que. man has pleaded guilty to two firearms-related charges after his neighbour, who lived two storeys above him, was injured by a gunshot while lying in her bed. According to documents obtained by the Crown prosecutor’s office, the charges refer to an incident that occurred on Oct. 18, 2024. Last week, Marcel Potvin, 67, pleaded guilty at the Joliette Courthouse to criminal negligence causing bodily injury by discharging a firearm, as well as using, carrying, handling or storing a firearm in a negligent manner or without taking sufficient precautions for the safety of others. The court documents specify that the weapon in question was a 12-gauge shotgun. At the time, Repentigny police said it was responding to reports that a man had allegedly fired his hunting rifle through his ceiling. The bullet went up two storeys and into a 23-year-old neighbour’s apartment. “She was in bed when she heard the gunshot and said she felt a burning in her pelvic area,” Repentigny police officer Bruno Marier told CTV News. The woman suffered serious injuries, and her screams apparently alerted others in the apartment building to what had happened. Police say they eventually found Potvin sitting in his car, allegedly inebriated. In the aftermath of the incident, the victim’s father told CTV News that “her intestines are damaged,” and “she’s suffering so much.” She had to undergo at least one surgery. Potvin is expected to return to court on Dec. 23.
