A woman has been charged as an accessory after a murder took place in Brampton, Ontario, involving a man who fled the scene with his one-year-old daughter, leading to an Amber Alert. The man, Anthony Deschepper, 38, was facing firearm charges set for trial next year. Peel Regional Police revealed that the woman, aged 36 with connections to Brampton and Niagara Falls, was found in a vehicle with Deschepper, possibly as his past or present girlfriend. She was apprehended at a gas station in Niagara Falls, where Deschepper was fatally shot by a Niagara Regional Police officer.
Deschepper was also slated for trial next year regarding firearm charges related to a previous incident on September 30, 2023, involving the same woman who was the victim in the recent Brampton tragedy, according to criminal defense lawyer Andrew Edgar. Edgar mentioned that the accused had consistently denied the allegations and was planning to challenge them in court.
The deceased woman in Brampton was identified as Savannah Kulla, 29, by family members. Kulla was fatally shot in a plaza parking lot near Queen Street E. and Airport Road. Deschepper left the scene in a Nissan Kicks with his child but later dropped the child off safely with relatives. He was later found with the woman in a Chevrolet by the police.
Deschepper encountered law enforcement around 2:30 a.m. ET Wednesday and was killed during the interaction. The Ontario Special Investigations Unit stated that he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In response to the tragic incident, the federal Liberal government announced modifications to the justice system aimed at extending the detention of certain offenders, a demand long advocated by victims’ rights advocates, police unions, and some provincial leaders. Despite these changes, advocates believe more could have been done to protect Kulla outside of the justice system, considering the warning signals.
Rebecca Pacheco of the Embrave Agency to End Violence and coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse expressed deep sorrow over the situation, calling femicide an epidemic. She highlighted the systemic issue of gender-based violence, emphasizing the overwhelmed and underfunded state of community supports and services.
Nneka MacGregor, co-founder and executive director of the Women’s Centre for Social Justice, emphasized the preventable nature of femicide, citing known risk factors and expressing sadness and frustration over the lack of protection for Kulla in this case. She underlined the heightened risks faced by women in abusive relationships, especially during separation, and when firearms are involved or there is a history of police involvement.