October 26, 1964 - Marc Lépine

The École Polytechnique massacre of December 1989 stands as one of the deadliest acts of gender-targeted violence in Canadian history, and Lépine's expressed motivation — a stated hatred of feminists, whom he blamed for his failures — gave the attack an ideological dimension that shaped subsequent public debate around misogyny and gun control. He separated the women from the men in at least one classroom before opening fire, a deliberate act that underscored the targeting was neither random nor incidental. The event prompted lasting changes to Canadian firearms legislation and remains a reference point in discussions of violence directed at women in institutional settings.

From Wikipedia

Marc Lépine (French: [maʁk lepin]; born Gamil Rodrigue Liess Gharbi; October 26, 1964 – December 6, 1989) was a Canadian mass murderer who perpetrated the École Polytechnique massacre, where he murdered 14 women and wounded another 10 women and four men at École Polytechnique de Montréal, on December 6, 1989.

Lépine was born in Montreal, Quebec, to French Canadian nurse Monique Lépine and Algerian businessman Rachid Gharbi, who was abusive towards Lépine. After his parents separated when he was seven, his mother returned to nursing to support her children. Lépine and his younger sister lived with other families who cared for them during the week, only seeing their mother on weekends. Lépine was considered bright but withdrawn, and he had difficulties with peer and family relationships. At the age of 14, he changed his name, giving "hatred of his father" as the reason.

Lépine's application to the Canadian Forces was rejected. In 1982 he began a science program at a college, switching to a more technical program after one year.

⚠ Report a problem with this article