TORONTO -- A Brampton, Ont. man has been charged with first-degree murder seven months after he allegedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend.
Last July, emergency crews were called to a home located in the area of Deerpark Crescent and Fairglen Avenue for a report of a shooting.
When officers arrived at the scene, they located Halton Hills woman Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman and Brampton man Darnell Reid suffering from gunshot wounds.
Henderson-Bellman was pronounced dead at the scene, while Reid was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries.
Investigators said Henderson-Bellman and Reid had been in a relationship for approximately three years before the shooting.
In the days following the shooting, investigators said Reid was facing a charge of second-degree murder, as well as possession of a loaded firearm and two counts of failing to comply with release order.
On Thursday, Peel Regional Police confirmed to CTV News Toronto that Reid has now been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Henderson-Bellman's death.
At the time of Henderson-Bellman's death, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said her loved ones and authorities "struggled to keep her safe."
"In this incident, the sadness I feel for the victim and her family is mixed with frustration for a complete failure of our justice system to protect her," he said last July. "At the time of this incident, the accused was the subject of an interim judicial release stemming from a previous domestic violence incident between the accused and the victim."
Since that charge, Duraiappah said, Reid had been arrested on four separate occasions for breaching the terms of his release by being in contact with Henderson-Bellman.
"This represents a tragic outcome for a young person who carried a bright future. I extend my sincerest condolences to the loved ones who have been left behind."
Reid was also arrested for possession of an illegal firearm in connection with an unrelated matter in May 2020, two months before the shooting.
After spending six days in custody, Reid was released back into the community with a GPS monitoring device despite clear concerns regarding his apparent risk to Henderson-Bellman and the rest of the community, Duraiappah said.
According to the chief, Reid "regularly ignored his conditions of release and continued to offend by possessing illegal firearms."
"This resulted in another life being taken by a violent offender with another illegal firearm," he said. "This unacceptable failure is becoming entirely too familiar in our communities."
"Collectively we need to do better."
