Accused Eaton Centre shooter faces 2 first-degree murder charges

The man accused in the fatal Eaton Centre shooting is now facing new charges, Toronto Police said Wednesday.

Christopher Husbands, 23, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after a second victim, 22-year-old Nixon Nirmalendran, died in hospital on Monday.

Husbands, wearing a hooded sweatshirt that covered his face, appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon to set a date for a bail hearing. His hearing was set for Aug. 25 and Husbands agreed to remain in custody until then. The judge agreed to a publication ban for the bail hearing.

Husbands surrendered June 4 and was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ahmed Hassan, 24.  He was also charged with six counts of attempted murder. One of those charges has now been upgraded to first-degree murder following Nirmalendran’s death. Husbands has also been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Police believe both Hassan and Nirmalendran were the intended targets and were together at the time.

Husbands, and both victims, have been tied to a gang out of Regent Park called the Sic Thugs.

Despite their gang connections, police say the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute and wasn’t gang-motivated.  

Husbands was under house arrest for sexual assault when he allegedly opened fire. He will appear in court on those charges on June 25.

Six other people were injured during the shooting, including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and a pregnant woman who was trampled in the chaos. The boy, who underwent neurosurgery June 4 at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, was released Monday and is expected to recover.