MONTREAL — The lawyer for one of the men charged in the drive-by shooting of a 15-year-old girl in Montreal told a jury on Tuesday his client should be found guilty of manslaughter, not murder.
Marc Labelle said in his closing arguments at the Montreal courthouse that his client Salim Touaibi admitted to firing the shot that killed Meriem Boundaoui and therefore cannot be acquitted.
“He said, ‘I am the shooter,'” Labelle told the jury.
But Labelle said the evidence suggests Touaibi didn’t mean to kill anyone when he shot at the Volkswagen Jetta while the teen was in the passenger seat on Feb. 7, 2021.
Touaibi and his co-defendant, Aymane Bouadi, were charged with first-degree murder after the 15-year-old was killed in Montreal’s St-Léonard borough by shots fired from a Mercedes that had pulled up beside the Jetta. They are also facing several counts attempted murder in connection with the people standing near the car.
The trial in Superior Court has heard that Boundaoui was caught in the crossfire of a dispute that did not involve her, which arose between two family-owned businesses over parking spots.
Labelle says his client, who was friends with someone involved in the conflict, fired toward the car because he was afraid of being shot and wanted to scare others nearby. His client had thought the car was empty, the lawyer said.
Touaibi testified that he had heard someone say “get him, get him” and then saw a bag pointed his way, Labelle said.
“He fired because he was afraid. He was afraid after a threat he heard. He was afraid because a person pointed a backpack at him, and he interpreted it as someone who wanted to shoot at him.” Labelle said.
Labelle said his client’s actions before, during and after the shooting suggested his act was unplanned. That includes the fact Touaibi had removed his COVID-19 mask and had spoken over the phone with someone involved in the conflict from a non-hidden number only moments before the death. A call he made after the shooting also suggested “total panic,” Labelle said.
The lawyer reminded the jury that they cannot convict his client of first- or second-degree murder or attempted murder unless they are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill.
“Don’t ever forget that the presumption of innocence means the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt belongs to the Crown,” he said. “It’s not up to a citizen here in Canada to convince you of his innocence.”
The two men on trial, both dressed in black, sat in the accused’s box as Labelle reviewed testimony, video and other evidence that was presented in court since the trial began in mid-January. He said the evidence, including surveillance video that showed a person with a backpack, largely corroborates the account his client gave on the stand.
“I invite you to conclude that what happened here was manslaughter,” he said. “It wasn’t a murder, it wasn’t a first-degree premeditated murder. That’s what I invite you to conclude.”
Bouadi’s lawyer will present closing arguments to the jury on Wednesday morning, followed by the attorney representing the Crown.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2026.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
