A 36-year-old woman has been charged as an accessory after a murder in Brampton, Ontario. She was found with a man suspected of killing another woman, triggering an Amber Alert this week. The suspect, Anthony Deschepper, 38, had fled the shooting scene with his one-year-old daughter and was set to face trial on firearm charges in the upcoming year.
Peel Regional Police stated that the woman, who has connections to Brampton and Niagara Falls, was discovered in a vehicle with Deschepper, believed to be his current or former girlfriend. She was apprehended at a gas station in Niagara Falls, where Deschepper was fatally shot by a Niagara Regional Police officer.
Deschepper was facing firearm charges following a September 30, 2023, incident involving the same woman who was killed in Brampton earlier this week. Criminal defense lawyer Andrew Edgar confirmed that Deschepper had consistently denied the allegations and planned to challenge them in court.
The victim in the Brampton shooting was identified as Savannah Kulla, 29. She was shot in a plaza parking lot near Queen Street E. and Airport Road. Deschepper fled the scene in a Nissan Kicks with his child but later dropped off the child at relatives. Deschepper and the woman were later found in a Chevrolet.
Deschepper was fatally shot by police during an interaction and was pronounced dead at the scene by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit. In response to the incident, the federal government announced justice system changes aimed at keeping offenders detained for longer periods, a move advocated by victims’ rights groups and law enforcement.
Advocates emphasized the need for more proactive measures to prevent femicide, citing the importance of community support and services in addressing systemic gender-based violence. Rebecca Pacheco from Embrave Agency to End Violence expressed condolences for Kulla’s family and highlighted the critical need for enhanced support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Nneka MacGregor, from the Women’s Centre for Social Justice, emphasized the preventable nature of femicide and stressed the importance of tracking known risk factors to protect potential victims. She underscored the heightened risks faced by women leaving abusive relationships and the significance of monitoring individuals with access to firearms and previous police involvement.