Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante spoke to reporters on Sunday morning for the first time since last week's mass shooting in Montreal.
Flanked by the city's chief of public safety, Martin Prudhomme, Plant stressed that the incident was isolated and that the citizens of Montreal should not give in to fear.
"It can happen anywhere, anytime on the planet. It has nothing to do with Montreal," she told reporters outside City Hall.
Police said Thursday morning , killed a 26-year-old suspect who allegedly shot and killed three men within 24 hours.
READ MORE: Montreal shooting victims' families say they feel unsafe
19} Quebec's Mental Health Review Board said the suspect was a "significant risk" to public safety, but was discharged under certain conditions.Story continues below ad
Plante calls on state governments to improve follow-up for people suffering from mental health issues .
"This shows that people are not in control when they are suffering from mental health problems or when they are in certain conditions," Plante said.
On Friday, the Canadian government announced it would ban the importation of handguns from this month. A day earlier, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced that he would donate nearly $42 million to help prevent gun violence in Quebec.
Read more: Firearms used to kill three people in Montreal were obtained illegally, police say
.
"Money is great, but we also need to look at all aspects of how to better manage all guns and gun trafficking." "We have to make sure it's safe everywhere in the country."
Montreal's official opposition leader Aleph Salem criticized the Plant government's slow response.
"I'm more worried about the post-meeting today than the pre-meeting. After the meeting, I didn't learn anything new. I didn't see any action. No action at all."
The story continues under the advertisement
Instead, Salem will take action in the form of security plans. said he wants to see investment in community organizations that are at risk.
Ahead of the fall local elections, Plante hopes the party leader will address public safety issues during the election period.
"You know how much I care about environmental issues, but public safety must be on the agenda for the next election," says Plante.
Related News
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
