An 84-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly shooting an employee at Les Jardins de L'Aubade residence in Montreal's Saint-Léonard district. (CBC)An 84-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after an employee was shot at Les Jardins de L'Aubade residence in Montreal's Saint-Léonard district.
The man was expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon for attempted murder and weapons charges.
The victim, 33-year-old Marlena Cardoso, who is a nurse at the residence, remained in stable condition on Wednesday.
Police said the shooter was in a wheelchair when Cardoso was shot in the upper torso on Tuesday afternoon.
"He was neutralized by other employees of the residence who were on the scene, and then arrested by the first police officers that arrived on the scene," said Const. Raphael Bergeron with the Montreal police.
Residents said that Cardoso had just told the suspect he was going to be transferred to a hospital. Police were not confirming that information on Wednesday.
Françoise Brunet has been living at Les Jardins de L'Aubade for a year. She described Cardoso as an “angel" who treated her patients like members of her own family. The residence is a home for independent and semi-independent seniors.
Brunet said she couldn't understand why the man had a gun, or how he was able to get a hold of it.
"It could be surprising obviously, we'll see why he was in possession of a firearm, if he was allowed to be in possession of a firearm," said Bergeron.
Police confirmed that as long as the gun was properly registered, the man was within his rights to own a firearm because a seniors home is considered a private residence.
Officials at the residence would not comment Wednesday morning. Police said the man would likely undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Cardoso's family shocked by shooting
Anthony Ianniciello said he was shocked on Tuesday when he found out his sister-in-law had been shot.
"My little brother called me crying, saying that she is between a matter of life and death and she was in surgery for minimum three or four hours," Ianniciello said.
Ianniciello said Cardoso worked as the head nurse at the residence and confirmed she often cared for the man who is a suspect in the shooting.
Ianniciello said the senior was apparently late on some payments, so Cardoso told him he had to have a meeting with the home's manager. Ianniciello said it was then that the man allegedly went back to his apartment and came out in his wheelchair holding a gun.
Ianniciello said he's still in shock this happened to someone as well-loved as Cardoso.
"[She’s a] very nice person, bubbly … very good mom. She loves her job. She doesn't do her job for the money, 'cause she loves her job," Iannicello said.
Ianniciello said Cardoso was slated to undergo more surgery Wednesday afternoon.
