A mass shooting that occurred in Sault Ste. Marie in late October has left the community in shock and mourning. Bob Thomas Hallaert, a 44-year-old man, used a SKS rifle and a .38 caliber revolver to commit the shooting, resulting in the deaths of four people, including his three children. The incident took place at a house on Tancred Street and another residence in town. Hallaert did not possess a firearms license at the time of the killing, according to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
It was revealed that Hallaert had held a Possession Acquisition License (PAL) between 2008 and 2014 but had not possessed one since then. A valid PAL is required to hold and acquire firearms in Canada. Authorities are currently investigating how Hallaert obtained the weapons used in the shooting.
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Further information about Hallaert’s criminal history was also disclosed. In January 2020, the police responded to a domestic disturbance call involving Hallaert and seized two of his firearms, which have been in police custody since then. Court documents show that Hallaert had been charged with assaulting a local police officer in December 2019 and had received a conditional discharge. He was ordered to keep the peace, not possess any weapons, and participate in alcohol abuse counseling.
Residents who knew Hallaert have mentioned that his actions, while shocking, did not come out of nowhere. Some revealed that he had made off-color remarks about shooting someone, although they were often treated as jokes. The shooting has prompted calls for action against intimate partner violence in the community. Brian Sweeney, the father of one of the victims, Angie Sweeney, is advocating for stronger laws surrounding intimate partner violence through a proposed legislation called Angel Angie’s Law.
The incident has also shed light on the prevalence of intimate partner violence in the country. Statistics Canada reported that in 2021, there were 803 victims of firearm-related intimate partner violence, with 84 percent of them being women and girls. Local organizations and authorities have acknowledged that intimate partner violence is an epidemic and have pledged to address the issue. The community continues to mourn the loss of the victims and seeks ways to prevent such tragedies in the future.
