The man, who was arrested on Tuesday in possession of a real arsenal in a Charlemagne condominium, was isolated and odd, according to neighbors who were surprised to see him still in a camouflage uniform.
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“He was special and lonely […]but he was very calm,” said Pierre Roy, who lives a few doors down from the individual’s home.
Jean-Philippe Dupont-Cormier, 37, was arrested by the Sûreté du Québec at his home on rue Chopin in Charlemagne on Tuesday morning.
Around 5 a.m., a neighbor saw and heard several police cars in the yard of her condominium, which is mostly occupied by elderly people.
“I saw a lot of policemen climbing over the railings to get in through the patio door of the condo,” says the man, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
Important seizure
The Sûreté du Québec then procured two homemade semi-automatic guns, a rifle, and several parts and tools intended for firearm manufacture.
Also seized on the spot were about 5,000 rounds of ammunition, 29 pounds of powdered ammunition, and about forty 30- or 40-round high-capacity magazines.
According to criminal lawyer Maria Mourani, this strike is a very good example of proactive prevention by the police.
“He’s someone who has the potential for violence and he’s armed. We don’t really know his state of mind or if he affiliates with certain extremist groups. With the amount of guns and ammunition he had, he could have wreaked havoc,” lists the president of Mourani-Criminologie.
Dupont-Cormier, who wore military-style clothing at all times, did not work and never had visitors, according to neighbors interviewed today.
“He was a miserable man, very lonely, who spoke to no one. It made no noise, no noise,” says one lady who has lived there for 30 years.
Couldn’t see inside the apartment because the curtains were constantly drawn since his mother, the apartment’s owner, left the apartment about five years ago due to ill health, officials said.
“If it turns out that he has visited ideological sites, we can assume that this person belongs to this ‘lone wolf’ category,” specifies Ms. Mourani.
Legal Actions
Dupont-Cormier appeared at the Joliette courthouse on Tuesday, where he was charged with misdemeanor.
He was banned from possessing firearms after being convicted of making death threats in 2005.
The 37-year-old remained behind bars awaiting his return to court tomorrow. He was then to be charged with unauthorized possession of firearms, possession of prohibited devices, manufacture of firearms, use of counterfeiting and possession of prohibited firearms.
– With the agency QMI
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