RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said Sunday: “The RCMP has identified persuasive evidence that Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s attack was driven by ideological and political motives. Zehaf-Bibeau had prepared a video recording of himself just prior to conducting this attack. The RCMP is conducting a detailed analysis of the video for evidence and intelligence.”
But he added: “You must understand that we cannot release this video at this time and I would ask for your patience in this regard.”
Paulson said that the RCMP investigation into the October 22 terrorist attack in Ottawa is “advancing and has revealed a great deal about Zehaf-Bibeau’s movements and actions prior to the attack.”
He went on to say: “The RCMP believes that the knife carried by Zehaf-Bibeau was retrieved from his aunt’s property in Mont Tremblant. Zehaf-Bibeau had lived there years earlier and appeared to have stored the knife on the property. We are still looking into the origin of the gun used by Zehaf-Bibeau. It is an old and uncommon gun. We suspect that he could have similarly hidden the gun on the property but our inquiries continue.
“We have identified the source of funds for Zehaf-Bibeau’s pre-attack activities. Zehaf-Bibeau had been employed in the oil fields of Alberta and had saved his money. He had access to a considerable amount of funds. We are investigating all of his disbursements in the period leading up to the attack.
“The RCMP is also investigating Zehaf-Bibeau’s interactions with numerous individuals in the days leading up to this attack. The investigation is focusing on whether these interactions could have contributed or facilitated, in any way, the terrorist attack subsequently committed by Zehaf-Bibeau.
“Consistent with the principles of independent investigation where police shootings or use of force result in serious injury or death, the RCMP has asked the Ontario Provincial Police to take complete conduct of the investigation of the shooting of Zehaf-Bibeau inside Parliament. The RCMP is confident we will have an authoritative and detailed account of the shooting, including a complete reconstruction of the heroic actions of those involved, in the weeks to come.
“This nationally scoped investigation remains exceptionally active and fluid. The RCMP undertakes to get as much information to the public as quickly as we can.”
MEANWHILE, in a lengthy written statement to Postmedia News on Saturday, Zehaf-Bibeau mother, Susan Bibeau said she never told the RCMP that her son wanted to go to Syria. “I specifically said Saudi Arabia,” she added.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana told the media that their earlier statements by police in this regard were incorrect, but he claimed that extremist travellers destined for Syria often go first to places like Saudi Arabia or Turkey.
However, the mother believed that her son had met with someone who had gone to Syria to fight. She said her son believed that the U.S. government was responsible for killing thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.
She believes that her son snapped when he was unable to get a passport.
She believes that her son’s serious addiction to drugs affected his mental condition and he often spoke of the Devil. He resisted all help from his family.
She also noted: “Most will call my son a terrorist, I don’t believe he was part of an organization or acted on behalf of some grand ideology or for a political motive.”
“I believe he acted in despair.”
