An independent review into the 2022 killing of a Prince Rupert woman has come back with recommendations to improve firearms security and empower supervisors to identify mental health issues at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The CBSA commissioned the review after border services officer Siu Shen (Shawn) Yeung shot and killed his ex-fiancée, Patricia Forman, 52, before turning his service weapon on himself.
The murder-suicide, which occurred in public at the Ocean Centre Mall on Nov. 21, 2022, sent shockwaves through the Prince Rupert community. Forman was on her way to work at B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development — where she was well-respected and loved — when she was killed.
She was also a gifted singer and musician, who was a cornerstone of Prince Rupert’s arts and cultural scene.
The report revealed that Yeung was able to obtain his assigned service weapon from a secure storage area, despite being off-duty at the time, and keep it with him for six hours. According to the review, CBSA officials only learned the gun was missing after the fact.
In response to the report’s recommendations, the CBSA has updated its Policy on Physical Security and its Closed Circuit Television program to support stronger controls and monitoring within the most secure areas of its operations, Luke Reimer, a CBSA spokesperson, told Black Press Media in an email.
It has also mandated more detailed training for new and existing officers on the removal process of defensive equipment.
The CBSA has also developed a comprehensive guide for supervisors on the defensive equipment removal process, which includes how to recognize warning signs of mental health that may require intervention.
The agency has also begun collecting more detailed statistics on defensive equipment removal, to help identify trends and opportunities to support safe workplaces and employee well-being.
“Changes have also specifically been made to strengthen the monitoring of and access to CBSA duty firearms,” said Reimer. “Most notably, under the Agency’s Defensive Tactics Policy, there have been updates to the permissions and accountability for off-site transport and storage related to officers’ authorized access.”
Following its receipt of the review in October 2023, the organization also initiated an audit of duty firearms.
As a result of the audit, standard operating procedures were updated, and information sessions were held to ensure that all agency locations keep accurate inventory and records of duty firearms and ammunition.
“An independent administrative review process plays a key role in ensuring that the Canada Border Service Agency supports the principles of responsibility, accountability and transparency,” the report read.
“This review provides CBSA the opportunity to assess findings in an approach gleaned from a ‘lessons learned’ approach from the tragic circumstances that occurred.”
The final report contains 27 findings and six recommendations made by the review team to help prevent this type of incident from re-occurring.
More to come.