Parents of slain Dawson student push for tougher gun laws

The parents of an 18-year-old student who was shot to death when a gunman opened fireat Dawson College in Montreal are calling for tougher gun controls.

"We shouldn't be able to have any types of guns in our house," Louise De Sousa said Tuesday.

Louise and Nelson De Sousa spoke publicly for the first time since their daughter Anastasia was shotafter Kimveer Gill stormed into Dawson on Sept. 13 and began firing indiscriminately.Nineteen otherswere also injured.

Their daughter's killer, who tookhis own life after the rampage,was carrying three legally registered, restricted firearms—a Beretta CX4 Storm semi-automatic carbine, aGlock .45-calibre handgun and a shotgun.

"I mean, you don't need an automatic weapon to go hunting. It's even illegal," said Nelson De Sousa."So why should it be on the streets? Why should it be in your house? It doesn't make sense. There should be much stricter laws."

Louise De Sousasaid she would join Hayder Kadhim, another 18-year-oldstudent who wasshot at the school, when he travels to Ottawa to make his case for tougher gunlaws.

"I'm definitely going to be by his side to go meet our prime minister," she said.

Won't meet killer's family

But they refuse to meet with the family of their daughter's killer. The family has publicly apologized for their son's actions.

"Right now, for us, it's inappropriate to think of that. We have to concentrate on our family and that's it."

However, Louise De Sousa said she hoped thetragedy will draw people's attention to troubled individuals.

"I hope people opened their eyes, if they see someone that needs help …help, help them get some help. There's lots of help out there."

She said the last five weeks have been "rough," but that they have a lot of support from friends and family.

"It'shard. We have our days when we cry. And we pull ourselves back together. That's what she would want, too. She wouldn't want us in the corner crying constantly. That's not the type of girl she was."

'She's up in heaven'

Louise De Sousa said she knows her daughter is in a "good place right now.

"She's up in heaven. She's our little guardian angel, watching out for us, watching everybody. But of course I'm mad. It shouldn't have happened to her. It shouldn't have happened to no one. No one in this school should have got hurt."

In honour of their daughter's memory, the De Sousas are going to use the money that has been pouring in since the shootings to create a scholarship fund.

"Helps us heal. I mean it helps everyone heal," Nelson De Sousa said. "This is not only for us. I mean students want to get involved. All of Montreal wants to get involved."

The scholarshipfund will be for high achievers, students in need and alsoforchallenged students. Louise De Sousa said Anastasiahad to battle thereading disabilitydyslexia.

"She always overcame it. She proved to everybody she was —even though she struggled—she was able to rise above and do what she wanted to do."