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'{{Infobox civilian attack |title=Halifax mass shooting plot |map= |map_caption= |image= |location=[[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] |target=[[Halifax Shopping Centre]] |coordinates= |date=Saturday, February 14, 2015 |time= |timezone= |type=Possible shooting, murder-suicide<ref>{{cite news|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/halifax-police-thwart-valentine-s-day-plot-for-mass-murder-suicide-1.2234537|title=Halifax police thwart Valentine's Day plot for mass murder-suicide|publisher=[[CTV News|CTV News Atlantic]]|accessdate=March 20, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233150/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/halifax-police-thwart-valentine-s-day-plot-for-mass-murder-suicide-1.2234537|archivedate=March 3, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> |fatalities=1 (James Gamble) |injuries= |weapons=* [[.308]] [[Savage Model 99|Savage 99]] Lever action rifle * [[Single-shot]] 16-gauge shotgun }} The '''Halifax mass shooting plot''' was an event that chiefly occurred between February 12, 2015, to February 14, 2015. Police were alerted to three people, identified as Lindsay Souvannarath, Randall Shepherd, and James Gamble, who were reportedly conspiring to commit a mass killing at the [[Halifax Shopping Centre]]. Souvannarath and Shepherd were arrested and convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, while Gamble was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. == Details == On February 12, 2015, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP) in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], Canada, received a tip through [[Crime Stoppers]] that three persons were planning to commit a mass killing at the [[Halifax Shopping Centre]]. Two of the suspects, Randall Steven Shepherd, 20, of [[Timberlea, Nova Scotia|Timberlea]], and Lindsay Kanittha Souvannarath, 23, from [[Geneva, Illinois]], had access to firearms and presented a threat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/17/foiled-halifax-shooting-new-charges|title=Foiled Halifax shooting suspects face new charges over shopping mall plot|date=February 17, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=March 11, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917003947/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/17/foiled-halifax-shooting-new-charges|archive-date=September 17, 2017|agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> In the early morning of February 13, police staked out Gamble's duplex house in Timberlea, a small suburb outside of Halifax. After both of Gamble's parents had left the house and been questioned by police, police entered the house and found the third plot suspect, 19-year-old James Gamble, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/james-gamble-suicide-police-fault-1.3307109|title=Police not at fault in case of teen who committed suicide|date=November 6, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116142253/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/james-gamble-suicide-police-fault-1.3307109|archive-date=November 16, 2017|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Also found in the house were three rifles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/dead-teen-linked-to-alleged-halifax-plot-referenced-columbine/article23011109/|title=Dead teen linked to alleged Halifax plot referenced Columbine|last=Taber|first=Jane|date=February 15, 2015|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.is/uXVEA|archive-date=November 8, 2019|last2=Freeze|first2=Colin|url-access=limited}}</ref> At the same time, the police arrested Souvannarath and Shepherd at [[Halifax Stanfield International Airport]]. Shepherd was meeting Souvannarath, Gamble's online girlfriend, as she arrived from the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2015/02/13/22236796.html|title=Three arrested in Halifax Valentine's Day mass murder plot|date=February 14, 2015|work=[[Canoe.ca]]|accessdate=March 20, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.is/Bqcke|archive-date=February 16, 2015|agency=[[QMI Agency]]}}</ref> A 17-year-old from [[Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia|Cole Harbour]] was arrested at 11{{nbsp}}am, but was shortly thereafter released from custody due to determination that he had no idea of, nor involvement in the plot. The police learned that it was the trio's intention to go into a public venue and open fire, attempting to kill as many people as possible, before turning the guns on themselves on February 14 ([[Valentine's Day]]). The venue was later disclosed as the Halifax Shopping Centre on Mumford Road.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lindsay-kantha-souvannarath-randall-steven-shepherd-charged-in-halifax-shooting-plot-1.2957685|title=Randall Steven Shepherd, Lindsay Kanittha Souvannarath charged in Halifax shooting plot|date=February 14, 2015|accessdate=March 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124112601/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/randall-steven-shepherd-lindsay-kanittha-souvannarath-charged-in-halifax-shooting-plot-1.2957685|archive-date=November 24, 2015|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Shepherd and Souvannarath faced charges of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to use weapons for a dangerous purpose, and unlawfully conveying threats through social media.<ref name="charges">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lindsay-souvannarath-randall-shepherd-to-set-preliminary-inquiry-dates-next-1.2984140|title=Lindsay Souvannarath, Randall Shepherd to set preliminary inquiry dates next|date=March 6, 2015|accessdate=March 11, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509133559/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lindsay-souvannarath-randall-shepherd-to-set-preliminary-inquiry-dates-next-1.2984140|archive-date=May 9, 2015|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> == Suspects == Souvannarath, Shepherd, and Gamble all met on the website [[Tumblr]], where they shared an obsession with death, true crime, heavy metal music, and Nazi imagery. Gamble's blog included imagery of [[Nazi]]s and the [[Columbine High School massacre]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/17/halifax-shooting-plot-columbiners_n_6696498.html|title=Halifax Shooting Plot: Who Are the "Columbiners?"|date=February 17, 2015|work=[[Huffington Post Canada]]|accessdate=November 27, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612221939/https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/17/halifax-shooting-plot-columbiners_n_6696498.html|archive-date=June 12, 2016|agency=[[Canadian Broadcasting Company]]}}</ref> along with pictures of guns from World War II, and Shepherd's contained death metal audio tracks and gore, whereas on Souvannarath's blog, headlined with, "School Shooter Chic; violence is the aesthetic," she made many allusions to events of mass murder and mayhem in the month of February and as early as several months beforehand, interspersed with [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]] comments in juxtaposition with posts of photo sets of Japanese fashion on her pastel-pink background. On February 5, 2015, Gamble reblogged a photo Souvannarath posted on Tumblr saying "Valentine's Day, it's going down", hinting to the would-be shooting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/pair-charged-in-halifax-mall-plot-to-go-to-trial-as-preliminary-hearing-wraps-1.2483480|title=Pair charged in Halifax mall plot to go to trial as preliminary hearing wraps|last=MacDonald|first=Michael|date=July 23, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104081422/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/pair-charged-in-halifax-mall-plot-to-go-to-trial-as-preliminary-hearing-wraps-1.2483480|archive-date=November 4, 2018|publisher=[[CTV News|CTV News Atlantic]]|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/eve54j/the-woman-who-plotted-a-valentines-mass-murder-shares-how-the-internet-radicalized-her|title=The Woman Who Plotted a Valentine's Mass Murder Shares How the Internet Radicalized Her|last=Lamoureux|first=Mack|date=February 21, 2019|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226041224/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/eve54j/the-woman-who-plotted-a-valentines-mass-murder-shares-how-the-internet-radicalized-her|archive-date=February 26, 2019|access-date=November 8, 2019}}</ref> == Charges == As of February 19, 2015, Shepherd and Souvannarath faced charges of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit arson, illegal possession of weapons for dangerous purposes against the public, and making threats over social media.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/17/two-accused-in-halifax-shopping-mall-threat-arrive-at-courthouse.html|title=Two accused in Halifax shopping mall threat face more charges|last=Tutton|first=Michael|date=February 17, 2015|work=[[The Toronto Star|The Star]]|accessdate=March 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124091027/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/17/two-accused-in-halifax-shopping-mall-threat-arrive-at-courthouse.html|archive-date=November 24, 2016|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|last2=MacDonald|first2=Michael}}</ref> They appeared in court on March 6, but did not seek bail. Preliminary court proceedings continued on April 10.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/six-stories-in-canada-were-watching-4/|title=Six stories in Canada we're watching|date=April 10, 2015|work=[[Maclean's]]|accessdate=April 14, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528092931/https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/six-stories-in-canada-were-watching-4/|archive-date=May 28, 2015|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|ref=Stories}}</ref><ref name="adjourned">{{cite news|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/case-of-pair-accused-of-plotting-attack-at-halifax-mall-adjourned-to-next-week-1.2320391|title=Case of pair accused of plotting attack at Halifax mall adjourned to next week|date=April 10, 2015|accessdate=April 14, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123201246/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/case-of-pair-accused-of-plotting-attack-at-halifax-mall-adjourned-to-next-week-1.2320391|archive-date=November 23, 2016|publisher=[[CTV News|CTV News Atlantic]]|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref><ref name="MacIntyre">{{cite news|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1279856-volume-of-evidence-slows-halifax-mall-threat-case|title=Volume of evidence slows Halifax mall threat case|last1=MacIntyre|first1=Mary Ellen|date=April 10, 2015|work=[[The Chronicle Herald]]|accessdate=October 31, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044645/http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1279856-volume-of-evidence-slows-halifax-mall-threat-case|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> On November 22, 2016, Shepherd plead guilty at [[Nova Scotia Supreme Court]] on the charge of [[conspiracy to commit murder]], and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, less 974 days for time served.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/randal-shepherd-halifax-mall-shooting-plot-guilty-1.3861824|title=Co-accused in Halifax Shopping Centre shooting plot sentenced to 10 years|author=Stagg|first=Carly|date=November 22, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504024053/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/randal-shepherd-halifax-mall-shooting-plot-guilty-1.3861824|archive-date=May 4, 2017|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Souvannarath was expected to go to trial in May 2017 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit arson, but instead pleaded guilty in April.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/american-woman-makes-unexpected-guilty-plea-in-shooting-plot-at-halifax-mall-1.3364418|title=American woman makes unexpected guilty plea in shooting plot at Halifax mall|last=Tutton|first=Michael|date=April 11, 2017|accessdate=September 6, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516093610/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/american-woman-makes-unexpected-guilty-plea-in-shooting-plot-at-halifax-mall-1.3364418|archive-date=May 16, 2017|publisher=[[CTV News]]|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref> On April 20, 2018, she was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for ten years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-american-woman-sentenced-to-life-in-halifax-mall-shooting-plot/|title=American woman sentenced to life in Halifax mall shooting plot|last=Bundale|first=Brett|date=20 April 2018|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|accessdate=April 20, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.is/XHtCV|archive-date=November 8, 2019|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|url-access=limited}}</ref> Souvannarath appealed her sentence, arguing it was "flawed and manifestly harsh and excessive", however the appeal was denied on May 29, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lindsay-souvannarath-valentine-s-day-massacre-plot-mall-loses-appeal-1.5154231|title=Woman convicted in Valentine's Day Halifax mall plot loses appeal|last=Rhodes|first=Blair|date=May 29, 2019|accessdate=May 30, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.is/UzuAQ|archive-date=November 8, 2019|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> == Lindsay Souvannarath's Prison Interview/ Podcast Appearance == While serving a life sentence for her role in the Halifax Mass Shooting Plot, Souvannarath broke the silence she has maintained since her arrest by appearing on [[The Night Time Podcast]], a Halifax-based podcast focusing on Canadian crime, mysteries, and offbeat stories<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/halifax-mall-shooting-plotter-youre-just-purifying-the-world-from-those-who-just-do-not-have-very-much-to-contribute-283596/ |title=Halifax mall shooting plotter: ‘You’re just purifying the world from those who just do not have very much to contribute’ |last=Beswick|first=Aaron|date=Feb 11, 2019|accessdate=Nov 27, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.is/UzuAQ|archive-date=November 8, 2019|publisher=[[the Chronicle Herald]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190419/canadian-who-could-have-been-killed-by-geneva-woman-interviews-her |title=Canadian who could have been killed by Geneva woman interviews her |last=keeshan|first=Charles|date=Feb 21, 2019|accessdate=April 19, 2019| |publisher=Daily Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4930584/nighttime-podcast-lindsay-souvannarath/|title=Nighttime podcast recap: The story of Lindsay Souvannarath — an introduction |date=Feb 6, 2019|accessdate=Nov 28, 2019| |publisher=[[Global News]]}}</ref>. In the seven part podcast series Souvannarath spoke candidly about her life, her neo nazi radicalization<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/eve54j/the-woman-who-plotted-a-valentines-mass-murder-shares-how-the-internet-radicalized-her |title=The Woman Who Plotted a Valentine's Mass Murder Shares How the Internet Radicalized Her |last=Lamoureux|first=Mack|date=Feb 21, 2019|accessdate=Nov 28, 2019| |publisher=[[Vice Media]]}}</ref> , her relationship with James Gamble, the planning of the shooting plot<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/valentine-s-day-massacre-halifax-shopping-centre-1.5026472|title='Just like Columbine': Conspirator details thwarted Valentine's Day massacre|last=Rhodes|first=Blair|date=Feb 21, 2019|accessdate=Nov 28, 2019| |publisher=[[CBC]]}}</ref> , and the events surrounding her arrest at the Halifax airport. == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == * {{Cite news|url=https://www.localxpress.ca/local-news/randall-shepherd-admits-to-role-in-halifax-valentines-day-mall-shooting-plot-470676|title=Randall Shepherd admits to role in Halifax Valentine's Day mall shooting plot|last=Bruce|first=Steve|date=November 22, 2016|newspaper=[[Local Xpress]]|access-date=December 4, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315234225/https://www.localxpress.ca/local-news/randall-shepherd-admits-to-role-in-halifax-valentines-day-mall-shooting-plot-470676|archive-date=March 15, 2017}} * {{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyherald.com/assets/PDF/R.%20v.%20Souvannarath%20-%20Nova%20Scotia%20Courts.pdf|title=''R. v. Souvannarath''|date=April 20, 2018|publisher=[[Supreme Court of Nova Scotia]]|via=''[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|Daily Herald]]''|id=2018 NSSC 96|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108063153/https://www.dailyherald.com/assets/PDF/R.%20v.%20Souvannarath%20-%20Nova%20Scotia%20Courts.pdf|archive-date=November 8, 2019|access-date=November 8, 2019}} * {{Cite web|url=https://www.canlii.org/en/ns/nssc/doc/2016/2016nssc329/2016nssc329.pdf|title=''R. v. Shepherd''|date=November 22, 2016|publisher=[[Supreme Court of Nova Scotia]]|via=[[CanLII]]|id=2016 NSSC 329|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315234247/https://www.canlii.org/en/ns/nssc/doc/2016/2016nssc329/2016nssc329.html|archive-date=March 15, 2017|access-date=November 8, 2019}} [[Category:History of Halifax, Nova Scotia]] [[Category:Shopping mall attacks]]'