In the wake of a horrific case of intimate partner violence that played out in a Brampton parking lot on Tuesday, Mayor Patrick Brown is calling for changes to the criminal code to be implemented as soon as possible and without delay.
Anthony Deschepper was out on bail related to numerous firearms offences when 29-year-old Savannah Kulla, a mother of four, was gunned down in the parking lot of a Brampton plaza in the Airport Road and Queen Street area. Peel police said the homicide was an intimate partner-related incident.
Deschepper then kidnapped their couple’s one-year-old daughter, prompting an Amber Alert, before dropping her off with family members in the Niagara area, where he was later shot and killed by Niagara police. The Special Investigations Unit is now investigating that incident.
CityNews has learned that Deschepper was previously arrested for firing a gun into the air during an argument with Kulla back in 2023 and was currently awaiting trial that was slated for February. According to the lead investigator in the case, Deschepper had a long list of court conditions, including a weapons and firearms prohibition, and most notably, not to have any contact with Savannah Kulla.
According to the victim’s family, after his arrest, the couple continued seeing each other and went on to have a baby girl together, but Kulla continuously tried to end the relationship.
“[He was] so in love with her, that’s what blows my mind. Like crazy in love with her … to the point where he’s obsessed,” Kulla’s mother Karen told CityNews on Wednesday, adding she told her, “I got to get away from him.”
The federal Liberals have now tabled the highly anticipated reform to the justice system that the government says will make it harder for violent repeat offenders to get out of custody.
Brown is cautiously optimistic but worries it doesn’t go far enough.
“When someone has a documented history of violence, firearms offences and intimate partner abuse, releasing them on bail is not just justice, it’s absolute negligence,” said Brown.
“By updating the criminal code, we are making progress, but at the same time, we need to resource our court system and correctional system. There are major gaps there as well. Without proper funding and local implementation, high-risk offenders may slip through the cracks and families like Savannah Kulla’s will continue to pay the price.”
A memorial continues to grow at the scene where Kulla was gunned down.
“She was struggling for a very long time. I was always messaging her, making sure she was ok,” said Kaity, a friend of Kulla’s.
“I don’t know what’s going on with our justice system, but it’s failing a lot of people. It failed Savannah.”
The issue of intimate partner violence continues to escalate in Peel Region, with police investigating up to 15 interactions or arrests related to this type of crime every single day.
