Police arrest, charge 2 men with homicide of homeless man in Quebec City

Police have arrested and charged two men in connection with the homicide of a homeless man in Quebec City.

Longueuil police arrested Nathan Frchette, 18, and Zachary Jenkins Verret, 22, on Wednesday evening.

Quebec City police (SPVQ) said in a news release that the men are responsible for the death of Gilles Gosselin, 54, who was found dead on Saturday at the Saint-Roch Marina in Quebec City.

Frchette and Verret have been charged with first-degree murder, attemped murder, aggravated assault and robbery.

Earlier this week, the SPVQ released video footage and images of two men who they said were persons of interest in the case.

The SPVQ said that, thanks to the help of the public and media outlets which distributed the images, they were able to confirm their identities as Frchette and Verret and arrest them.

Police asked anyone with information about the men or who witnessed a criminal act in the Saint-Roch area on the night of April 21 or the night of April 22 to contact the SPVQ.

Fear andanger in the homeless community

People who knew the victim, Gosselin, described him as a peaceful homeless man who kept to himself.

Gosselin was found dead early Saturday morning near the Saint-Roch Marina. According to his friends, he occasionally slept there when he could not get a place in a shelter.

ric Boulay, general manager of the Lauberivire homeless shelter said Gosselin often visited the shelter.

"I can't wait to find out what motivated two people to beat up people on the street like that. I can't believe it. It sounds like a bad movie," he said.

On the night of the homicide, Gosselin tried to get a bed at Lauberivire. "We had a place for him, but when we went to get him to tell him, he wasn't there anymore," Boulay said.

Boulay says Gosselin's death has created a lot of bitterness and fear in the homeless community.

"We already know that there is a lack of resources," he said. "If there were more resources, I think there would be fewer people at risk."