VANCOUVER -- As tributes continue to pour in from across the country for victims of the mass killings in Nova Scotia earlier this month, an Abbotsford police officer is stepping up to try and support the grieving families.
Const. Shane Dueck is organizing a fundraiser through an online music concert. He’s calling it "Artists for Nova Scotia."
Dueck says he was in disbelief when he heard of the rampage that left 22 people in Nova Scotia dead April 18, including an RCMP member.
“It really hit home and I thought, oh it’s happening again. So that was a bit of a trigger for me for sure,” Dueck told CTV.
In November 2017, Dueck’s fellow officer and friend, Abbotsford police Const. John Davidson was killed while responding to a report of a stolen vehicle.
“I was working that day. I heard officer down,” Dueck recalled.
“I was one of the officers involved in the direct takedown of the suspect … to reflect back on hearing the news from Nova Scotia I can sense in my heart what those officers are going through, what they’re feeling to some degree.”
Dueck, a musician before he joined the police, says he wanted to do something to help the families of the Nova Scotia victims.
"Musically, that’s always been something that’s helped me heal going through tough times so I thought to myself, let’s do something musical," he said.
Dueck’s gathered some musicians together to play 22 songs to honor the 22 victims in a concert that will go live on Instagram. One of the songs that will be performed is "Thin Blue Line," written by local artist Ryan McAllister following Davidson's death.
Dueck is still looking for other artists to join the effort and hopes the community will also support the victims’ families through an online fundraising campaign.
"It’s the right thing to do. It’s the Canadian thing to do," he said. "We have to do something."
