Family of teen killed in Montreal drive-by asks for justice during sentencing hearing

MONTREAL — The family of a 15-year-old girl killed in a drive-by shooting in Montreal in 2021 remembered her as their “joy, pride and hope” in emotional victim impact statements at her killer’s sentencing hearing on Thursday.

Salim Touaibi bowed his head as Meriem Boundaoui’s parents, siblings and other family members described their loss and pain in letters read in court.

“She had her whole life ahead of her, dreams, and an immense love for her family,” her parents said in their letter, which was read aloud by a victims services representative as they sat in the audience.

“We will continue to live with her absence … and with a heart that will be broken forever,” it concluded.

A jury found Touaibi guilty last week of murdering Boundaoui, and also convicted him on four counts of attempted murder. Touaibi’s co-accused, Aymane Bouadi, was acquitted of all charges.

Boundaoui’s family in both Canada and Algeria described her in their impact statements as a smiling, kind member of a large extended family that included parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Her smiling face flashed on screens inside the courtroom as a brief tribute video was played.

“Today, I am asking for justice for Meriem. I ask that her life counts, that her memory be respected, that this tragedy is never forgotten,” wrote a cousin, Kenza Benoudiba.

The victim’s sister, Safia Boundaoui, read her impact statement herself, telling the court that Meriem was not only a beloved daughter and sister but also the symbol of her family’s hopes for their life in Canada. She said her sister was a person full of hopes and dreams, who wanted to one day support her parents.

“Her dreams were torn away, her future diplomas, her desired career, her first salary, the gifts she wanted to buy, the home she imagined for her parents, future laughs, successes, simple moments that will never come,” she said. “A trajectory full of light was broken.”

The Superior Court trial heard that Boundaoui was sitting in the passenger seat of a Volkswagen Jetta in Montreal’s St-Léonard borough on Feb. 7, 2021, when a white Mercedes with two men inside pulled up and one of them opened fire.

Over the course of a trial spanning more than two months, the jury heard that Boundaoui was a bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the crossfire of a conflict between two family businesses that did not concern her.

Prosecutor Simon Lapierre suggested during closing arguments that Touaibi and Bouadi drove to a parking lot to avenge a friend who had been hurt in a fight a day earlier as part of the dispute, which the Crown says originally started over parking spots.

Touaibi testified to being the shooter, but said he didn’t realize Boundaoui or anyone else was in the Jetta when he shot at it with the intention of scaring those nearby.

When given the opportunity to address the court on Thursday, he apologized to Boundaoui’s family and loved ones, and reiterated that the killing was unintentional. “Never, never did I have the intention that day to hurt anyone, to kill anyone,” he said.

With a first-degree murder conviction, Touaibi automatically faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years. But the judge still needs to determine his sentence on the four counts of attempted murder related to the people who were standing near the Jetta when he opened fire.

Lapierre suggested Touaibi should be given a life sentence for the attempted murders given the violent nature of the crime, the number of victims and his criminal history.

Touaibi’s lawyer, Marc Labelle, acknowledged that his client had committed a violent crime. However, he said Touaibi was not a hardened criminal, despite having a criminal record, adding that the accused has admitted his actions and shown regret. He suggested a 12- to 14-year sentence instead.

Justice Yvan Poulin will deliver his sentence on April 16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2026.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press