Marc Lépine
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Marc Lépine (October 26, 1964 – December 6, 1989) was a 25 year old man from the Province of Quebec, Canada, who killed 14 women in what is known as the Montreal Massacre.
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[edit] Background
Born Gamil Gharbi, the son of Algerian immigrant Liess Gharbi and Canadian Monique Lépine, he grew up in a poor and dysfunctional household in Montreal. His father was a violent alcoholic who brutalized his family. When Gamil's parents divorced, he changed his last name from Gharbi to Lepine, not unusual for young people living with their single-parent mothers. It was later that he changed his first name also, quite likely an attempt to fit into French-Canadian culture.
He applied to join the Canadian Armed Forces but was rejected, no reason given. He completed a number of years of college, preparing for entering engineering, but possibly his interest waned when he was not accepted. Lépine was an intelligent human being, though that information has probably not yet been given out by the college. Lépine noted in his suicide letter that he believed women had robbed him of his "rightful place" in the education system, and in the world. Social changes in society, and particularly the women's movement, have obviously had an effect on the workplace, and on men's and women's roles in society. It is unfortunate that this aspect of the Montreal Massacre has not received the attention it should.
On November 21, 1989, Lépine purchased a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle at a local sporting goods store. On December 6, 1989, Lépine walked into the École Polytechnique de Montréal, an engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal. There, he first entered a second floor classroom where he separated the men and the women and then ordered the men to leave. After the men left, he proceed to shoot the nine women who remained. After this, Lépine proceeded to shoot other women throughout the building, killing 14 women and injuring 13 others. Twelve female engineering students, one nursing student, and one female university employee were killed, and four men and nine more women were injured before Lépine turned the gun on himself.
Lépine left behind a three-page letter claiming feminists had ruined his life. It also apparently contained a virtual hit list of nineteen high-profile Quebec women. The letter was never officially made public, but was leaked to Francine Pelletier who apparently also translated it before having it published herself. In the letter, Lépine expressed admiration for Denis Lortie, who mounted a political attack on the Quebec Parliament in 1984, killing three Quebec government employees.
Marc Lépine is buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges in Montreal, just a few blocks from where he committed his atrocious killings. He was never tried for them. An investigation into all the matters was never completed.
[edit] Murder victims
- Geneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
- Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
- Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
- Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967) mechanical engineering student.
- Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
- Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
- Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
- Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
- Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
- Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
- Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
- Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
- Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
- Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.
[edit] References in popular culture
- Adam Kelly wrote a play about the murders called The Anorak. It was named one of the best plays of 2004 by Montreal Gazette theatre critic Matt Radz.
- The Tragically Hip wrote a song entitled "Montreal" about the murders, though it has only been performed at a few of their live performances. A segment can be heard during the song Courage on their live album, Live Between Us. Lyrics and Explanation [1]
- Macabre wrote a song called "Montreal Massacre" about the events. Lyrics: [2]
- The Wyrd Sisters released a song about the massacre entitled "This Memory" on their album Leave a Little Light. Wyrd Sisters Official Site
- The Law and Order season ten premier episode GunShow was based on his case and the Columbine shooting.
[edit] External links
- CBC Archives on the Montreal Massacre
- Article about Lépine on Crimelibrary.com
- Montreal Massacre website
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Valery Fabrikant, perpetrator of the Concordia University massacre
- Kimveer Gill, perpetrator of the Dawson College shooting
- Denis Lortie, who shot up the Quebec National Assembly, admired by Marc Lépine
