Man shot in Dollard-des-Ormeaux to undergo fourth operation

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Houssam Abdallah, injured in a savage shooting on the evening of August 4 in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, will soon undergo a fourth operation as he continues to recover after being caught in the crossfire between Montreal police officers and a man who tried to steal the family’s car.

Abdallah, 52, was shot five times as he returned from a camping trip with family members. His 18-year-old son, Abdel-Rahman Abdallah, was shot as he left the family home in the West Island and prepared to unload the car.

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Last week, the son told The Gazette that he and his father were standing near the car when a man approached them, brandishing a gun, and ordered them to hand over the car keys. The son said the gunman suddenly realized Montreal police officers were nearby and the assailant turned toward them and fired a shot.

What happened next is a blur, Abdel-Rahman Abdallah said. He was hit by a bullet that came within an inch of his spine. He said that after he was hit, he focused on his father lying on the sidewalk and struggled to stay conscious. Witnesses said more than 30 shots were fired after police arrived. They were responding to a 911 call about something inside a residence near the Abdallahs’ home.

“He’s doing well. He’s handling it like a champ,” Abdallah’s daughter Jana said of her father on Monday, adding that the family visits him often. “He’s thinking about all of us. He’s worried about all of us when he should be worried about himself. We’re trying to entertain him.”

Jana Abdallah said her father had already undergone three operations and would soon undergo another to try to close one of his wounds. She appeared tired, having spent Sunday night visiting her father in hospital.

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Last week, she described her father as a hero who protected her and her brother after Abdel-Rahman was shot. Her brother told The Gazette his father shielded him from further harm as bullets whizzed by.

Jana said Monday that her brother, who was released from the hospital last week, “is doing well. He’s recovering, getting better every day, and we’re grateful for that.”

She said the family still does not know whether it was the Montreal police who shot her father and brother or whether it was the attacker.

Nackeal Hickey, a 26-year-old St. Laurent resident, was also injured in the shooting and has since been charged with several Criminal Code offences, including four counts of attempted murder. None of the charges against Hickey involve Houssam or Abdel-Rahman Abdallah as victims.

“We are still waiting. The investigation is still ongoing,” Jana Abdallah said. “From what I have heard, because of all the accusations against the suspect and the fact that none of them involve my brother and my father, I suspect that it may have been the police, but that is not based on anything I have been told. Again, nothing has been said to us.”

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In an email exchange, Hickey’s defence lawyer Alexander Grey wrote: “As for injuries to the bystanders, I have no confirmation from the BEI. Obviously, given the charges laid by the Crown, there is an assumption that (they were shot by police), but it will be difficult to have any certainty until the ballistics report is ready.”

Grey also wrote that he would seek his client’s approval to comment on the status of his health beyond saying that Hickey is “no longer in intensive care.”

According to the charges filed against Hickey last week, it appears that Montreal police were responding to a 911 call reporting an armed robbery. Hickey is also accused of assaulting a 25-year-old man who, according to court records, lives on the street where the shooting occurred.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes is investigating the police shooting. The Sûreté du Québec has taken charge of the investigation into the events that led to the laying of charges against Mr. Hickey. His case will return to court on Thursday.

Among the charges against Hickey is that he allegedly possessed a pistol on Aug. 4. A court order issued seven years ago prohibited him from owning a gun for 10 years.

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The order was issued on March 13, 2017, at the Montreal courthouse after Hickey pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He had originally been charged with attempted murder in that case, but that charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.

A friend of Abdallah’s family started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000. As of Monday afternoon, more than $9,500 had been raised.

“Houssam is the primary caregiver for his family of four children, who are struggling to cope with the fear and uncertainty brought on by this disaster. Among them is a distressed nine-year-old who is dealing with the trauma of watching this unfold before his eyes,” the family friend wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“Their family has put their lives on hold during this life-changing tragedy. Your support will help cover their essential expenses during this difficult time, including medical bills, rehabilitation costs, daily living expenses, and any other financial burdens.”

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