Even though the man who killed two men and injured two others in an April 2014 Nanaimo mill shooting will serve life in jail, the victims’ families say there will be a void that will never be filled.
Kevin Douglas Addison, 50, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern and two counts of attempted murder of Tony Sudar and Earl Kelly in a B.C. Supreme Court in Nanaimo in September.
On Friday, Addison received life sentences on all four counts from Judge Robin Baird.
Lorraine McEachern, Fred McEachern’s widow, said Addison took away so much from so many people. In her impact statement, she said she and her husband were days away from embarking on a 25th wedding anniversary trip when the tragedy occurred.
Additionally, her daughter and son will never have their father at their weddings and their children will never have an opportunity to know their grandfather. She said the family was close and while they continue to be, there is still an emptiness she feels will never truly heal.
Marlene Lunn, Michael Lunn’s widow, compared her husband to the hub of a bicycle tire that held all the spokes together. When the hub was removed, the spikes went flying everywhere and the family is working to find a new sense of normalcy. She said she misses his bear hugs and his booming voice.
Lunn said her grandchildren will never have their grandfather play cards with them, help solve their problems, take them on trips or hang out.
Addressing Addison in the courtroom, Lunn said his actions changed so many lives, including his own. She said he wouldn’t be able to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding and her children won’t have a grandfather.
Addison was in the courtroom for sentencing and while he was often staring straight ahead, he wasn’t emotionless.
“I was talking when I [was] doing my statement and I looked at Kevin and when I brought up his daughter, I could really see some emotion because he’s got a whole different life ahead of him. I really do feel for his family,” Lunn said, outside Nanaimo courthouse following the sentencing.
Pamela Lunn, Michael Lunn’s sister, said the sentencing was dealt with properly, but it doesn’t change the fact her brother is gone.
“I’ll never, ever get to hold my brother’s again. That hurts and I’ll never forget that,” said Pamela Lunn.
Addison will not be eligible for parole for 25 years, must give a DNA sample and is barred for owning firearms for life.