Canada

Geneva Woman Charged in Foiled “Valentine's Day Massacre” in Canada

A woman from Geneva, Illinois, was arrested Friday in connection with a foiled plot to kill as many people as possible at a mall in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada on Valentine's Day.

Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath, a 23-year-old woman from Geneva, and Randall Steven Shepherd, a 20-year-old Canadian man, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder Saturday, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officer Brian Brennan said in a statement they received a tip Thursday morning that Souvannarath and a 19-year-old Canadian man had access to firearms and intended "to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14 with a goal of opening fire to kill citizens, and then themselves."

The official said Friday the suspects were on a chat stream and were apparently obsessed with killing and death and had many photos of mass killings.The official said Souvannarath was arrested at Halifax's airport and confessed to the plot. The official said she set up a number of tweets to be sent after her death.

Souvannarath does not have a criminal history, police said.

The official also said a 19-year-old male suspect from Canada shot himself after police surrounded his parent's home. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

One other Canadian man, a 17-year-old from Cole Harbour, was arrested in connection with the plot, but officials released him overnight without charge.

Canadian police are not calling the plot an attempted act of terrorism, but rather as a group of people willing to carry out an act of violence against citizens.

"This is a reminder that this type of incident can happen anywhere," Halifax Regional Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais said in a statement. "Recognizing our citizens may be anxious in the wake of this news, we have additional high visibility patrols in and around the city. We encourage people to go about their daily lives."

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us