Peel Regional Police have released new information on a double shooting in Brampton on Tuesday, and the detachment's police chief is calling it a failure of the justice system.
25-year-old Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman was pronounced dead at the scene, while 27-year-old Darnell Reid was taken to hospital in critical condition where he remains.
But now Reid has been charged with second-degree murder, possession of a laoded firearm, and two counts of failing to comply with his release order.
Police say Reid and Henderson-Bellman were in a relationship for three years.
Chief Nishan Duraiappah says in a news release that this represents a tragic outcome for a young person with a bright future.
"I extend my sincerest condolences to the loved ones who have been left behind. In this incident, the sadness I feel for the victim and her family is mixed with frustration for a complete failure of our justice system to protect her," Duraiappah says. "At the time of this incident, the accused was the subject of an interim judicial release stemming from a previous domestic violence incident between the accused and the victim. Since that charge, he had been arrested on four separate occasions for breaching terms of his release by being in contact with her. The family and police struggled to keep her safe."
Police say Reid was arrested this past May for possessing an illegal firearm. After just six days in custody, Reid was released back into the community with a GPS monitoring device. Police says this was despite Reid's consistent ignorance of his release conditions, concerns regarding his risk to the victim, the community, and the potential to continue to re-offend.
"This resulted in another life being taken by a violent offender with another illegal firearm. This unacceptable failure is becoming entirely too familiar in our communities. Collectively we need to do better," Duraiappah says.