Man shot in Dollard-des-Ormeaux will undergo fourth operation

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Houssam Abdallah, who was injured in a wild shooting the night of Aug. 4 in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, will undergo a fourth operation soon as he continues to recover after being caught in the crossfire between Montreal police officers and a man who tried to steal the family’s car.

Abdallah, 52, was struck by five bullets after he returned from a camping trip with members of his family. His 18-year-old son, Abdel-Rahman Abdallah, was shot once after he came outside the family’s home in the West Island and was about to unload the car.

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Last week, the son told The Gazette that he and his father were standing near the car when a man approached them brandishing a pistol and ordered them to hand over the car keys. The son said the armed man suddenly realized Montreal police officers were nearby and the assailant turned toward them and fired a shot.

What happened next is a blur, Abdel-Rahman Abdallah said, because he was struck by a bullet that came within two centimetres of his spine. He said that after being shot, he focused on how his father was lying on the pavement and was struggling to remain conscious. Witnesses have said more than 30 shots in all were fired after police arrived while responding to a 911 call involving something that happened inside a residence close to the Abdallahs’ home.

“He’s OK. He’s dealing with it like a champ,” Abdallah’s daughter Jana said of her father on Monday, adding the family has visited him often. “He’s thinking about all of us. He’s worrying about all of us when he should be worried about him. We’re trying to keep him entertained.”

Jana Abdallah said her father has undergone three operations so far and will soon undergo another in an effort to help close one of his wounds. She sounded tired as she spoke because she had spent Sunday night visiting her father in the hospital.

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Last week, she described her father as a hero who shielded both her and her brother after Abdel-Rahman was shot. Her brother also told The Gazette that his father shielded him from further harm as the bullets flew by.

Jana said Monday that her brother, who was discharged from the hospital last week, “is doing good. He’s recovering, getting better every day, which we are grateful for.”

She also said the family is still in the dark as to whether it was Montreal police officers who shot her father and brother or whether it was the assailant.

St-Laurent resident Nackeal Hickey, 26, was also injured in the shooting and has since been charged with several Criminal Code offences, including four counts of attempted murder. None of the charges Hickey faces involve Houssam or Abdel-Rahman Abdallah as victims.

“We’re still waiting. The investigation is still going on,” Jana Abdallah said. “From what I’ve heard, because of all the accusations (filed) against the suspect and how none of them have (involved) my brother and father, what I suspect is that it might have been the cops, but this is not based on anything that I’ve been told. Again, nothing has been told to us.”

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Based on the charges filed against Hickey last week, it appears the Montreal police were responding to a 911 call reporting an armed robbery. He is also charged with assaulting a 25-year-old man who, according to court records, resides on the street where the shooting took place.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes is investigating the police shooting. The Sûreté du Québec took over the investigation into the events that led to Hickey being charged. His case returns to court on Thursday.

Included among the charges Hickey faces is one alleging he possessed a pistol on Aug. 4 while he was not allowed to possess a weapon for 10 years through a court order issued seven years ago.

The order was issued on March 13, 2017, at the Montreal courthouse after Hickey pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was initially charged with attempted murder in the same case, but that charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.

A friend of the Abdallah family has created a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to raise $50,000 to help support them. As of Monday afternoon, more than $9,500 had been raised.

“Houssam is the primary caregiver for their family of four children, who are struggling to cope with the fear and uncertainty that has come with this devastation. Among them is a distressed nine-year-old who must cope with the trauma of having seen the event unfold in front of him,” the family friend wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“Their family has put their life on hold as they endure this life-altering tragedy. Your support will help cover their essential expenses during this difficult period, including medical bills, rehabilitation costs, daily living expenses and any other financial burdens.”

pcherry@postmedia.com

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