A man in his thirties who has spent several times in jail in recent years will be accused of attempting to kill an employee of the Cégep de Valleyfield early Friday morning.
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James Coulombe will appear during an exceptional evening hearing.
The 37-year-old man, who is expected to remain in custody, will face three counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
The resident of Huntingdon, in Montérégie, would thus be at the origin of the major commotion that occurred at the Valleyfield CEGEP.
Photo Agence QMI, MAXIME DELAND
According to our information, around 6:15 a.m., he stabbed an employee of the food dealership in the neck.
Despite her injuries, there was no fear for the life of the 46-year-old woman, according to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
Smoke plume
Along with the assault, a fire broke out, but provincial police have not confirmed whether there was a link between the two events. The SQ will investigate to identify the origin of the fire.
No accusation in this matter has been made against James Coulombe for the moment.
The blaze, which was brought under control, was serious enough for a large plume of smoke to emerge from the windows, as evidenced by images posted on social networks.
The individual was located and then arrested by SQ police officers.
In a 41-second video obtained by The Journal, the bearded man with a shaved head looks a little shaky. He is completely naked, handcuffed and surrounded by several officers.
The suspect was completely naked when he was escorted by the police.
Screenshot of a video provided by a source
Long roadmap
Coulombe, who would have no connection with the CEGEP, had to be transported to hospital to receive treatment before being met by investigators.
The suspect is far from his first encounters with the law, according to our research.
Last month, he was given probation for criminal harassment. Coulombe also received 180 days in the shadows for driving despite a ban in 2023.
Dangerous driving while impaired in 2019 also earned him more than 100 days behind bars.
“Isolated case”
After his new alleged crime, psychological support was made available to the college community, management mentioned in a press release at the end of the day, assuring that it was an “isolated case”.
“Additional security measures are planned on site to ensure a return in the best possible conditions,” she adds.
In an email sent to students in the morning, the CEGEP announced that its main campus would be closed for the entire day and that classes, with the exception of some online, as well as activities were suspended.
“It should be noted that few people were in the establishment at the time of the event; they received the required care and services, we read in the missive. The situation currently remains under control.”
The Vaudreuil-Dorion and Saint-Constant study centers remained open.
-With Maxime Deland, QMI Agency
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