Split Verdict in Montreal Teen’s 2021 Killing: Touaibi Convicted of First-Degree Murder, Bouadi Acquitted

Overview

• Jurors in Montreal returned a split verdict Thursday after eight days, convicting Salim Touaibi and acquitting co-accused Aymane Bouadi.
• With the first-degree murder conviction, Touaibi receives life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, and the judge will sentence him on four attempted-murder counts on April 2.
• The shooting on Feb. 7, 2021, unfolded during a dispute between families tied to a barbershop and a grocery store over parking, when a white Mercedes pulled up to a Volkswagen Jetta in St-Léonard and shots killed 15-year-old passenger Meriem Boundaoui.
• Touaibi told the jury he fired the gun but claimed he did not know anyone was inside the Jetta, while Bouadi’s lawyer said his client was only a passive passenger out to get food.
• The girl’s death shook Quebec’s Algerian community and led Montreal’s mayor and police chief to create a unit that focuses on stopping gun traffickers.