31-05-2025
Family pushes for reopening of investigation into teen's gunshot death
The family of 18-year-old Emmanuel Diafouka gathered Saturday to once again demand Montreal police reopen the investigation after his death was ruled a suicide.
The young man was found dead from a gunshot wound to the forehead in Dollard-Des Ormeaux in January.
At a neighbourhood rally, Diafouka's family and members of the community held flowers and posters with photos of him that said 'We want answers,' and 'Emmanuel forever in our hearts.'
They prayed for him and reiterated they want police to dig deeper into his death. They have been asking Montreal police (SPVM) to do so for weeks.
They do not believe investigators who said Diafouka committed suicide following an argument with his ex-girlfriend.
The family says the evidence presented by the SPVM doesn't add up, and the young man never showed signs of depression.
They say police recently told them a third video captured that evening — which they hadn't been shown at first — showed a single shadow falling to the ground and three gunshots were heard.
In two other videos the family was previously shown, only one gunshot was heard.
They say they only found out the gunshot was to the forehead when they buried Diafouka — which does not typically indicate suicide.
The family also questions how he would have obtained a gun in the first place.
Helena Diafouka, Emmanuel's sister, said the case was closed too quickly.
'We think that Emmanuel deserves a proper investigation,' she said. 'There are so many questions that we had that they were not able to answer.'
The family also wants the coroner who looked into his death to step down.
They say it took months for them to receive the report only for the coroner to agreed with police's conclusion of suicide and believe there was bias.
The family would like a new inquest to reexamine all evidence along with a police investigation.
With files from CTV News Montreal's Swidda Rassy
