Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the 32-year-old suspected killer of a Canadian Forces soldier in Ottawa, spent $160 a day on heroin and hated Canadian and American soldiers, according to a man who got to know him in Ottawa.
The man, known only as 鈥淒arryl,鈥� that he met Zehaf-Bibeau just over three weeks ago, as they rode a bus to Ottawa. He spent even more time with Zehaf-Bibeau, who he knew only as 鈥淢ike鈥� or 鈥淢ichael鈥� when they lived together at a downtown Ottawa homeless shelter.
Zehaf-Bibeau was coming in from Vancouver and Darryl got on in Saskatoon. Darryl told CFRA host Ron Corbett he sat across from Zehaf-Bibeau, who Darryl knew only as 鈥淢ike鈥� or 鈥淢ichael,鈥� and that he seemed 鈥渧ery normal鈥� and polite.
Darryl said they didn鈥檛 usually talk about much out of the ordinary. But one day, about a week ago, they got to talking about politics while waiting in line for clothing donations.
鈥淭hat was the only time I seen him get upset,鈥� Darryl told the radio station on Thursday.
鈥淗e did not like Canadian and American soldiers,鈥� he explained. 鈥淪omebody drilled it into that young man鈥檚 head that over in his homeland where his father and all that came from, that Canadian and American soldiers were raping and killing children.鈥�
Darryl said he noticed Zehaf-Bibeau prayed four times a day, but he never saw him with other Muslims.
鈥淲hat I did see is he was with a young woman on the street who was helping him to get heroin every day. That was the only person I ever seen him with,鈥� Darryl said.
He added he never understood how Zehaf-Bibeau could afford the $160 a day he was spending on the drug. He also said he had no idea how Zehaf-Bibeau came to own a gun.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the question I鈥檓 fricking wondering to myself,鈥� Darryl said, adding: 鈥淭he people he was getting drugs from, in that kind of world, it鈥檚 very easy to get a gun.鈥�
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said Thursday that police are now investigating how Zehaf-Bibeau acquired a gun. They added that Bibeau had applied for a passport to go to Syria but had not received one, as a background check was still being conducted.
Paulson said while it鈥檚 not clear what motivated Zehaf-Bibeau鈥檚 attacks on Wednesday, the 鈥減assport issue was central to what was driving鈥� him, he said.
Darryl told CFRA he never heard Zehaf-Bibeau mention his application for a passport. He only told him that he was on his way to Montreal, where he had grown up.
Darryl said the last time he spoke with Zehaf-Bibeau was on Tuesday, when they went for breakfast at the mission and then for a second breakfast at the Salvation Army shelter nearby. He said Zehaf-Bibeau seemed 鈥渇ine鈥� and they talked about 鈥渂asic stuff鈥� like the weather.
鈥淎nd that was the last time I seen him,鈥� Darryl said.
Zehaf-Bibeau was shot dead in the Centre Block of Parliament Wednesday morning, minutes after fatally shooting Cpl. Nathan Cirillo on the steps of the National War Memorial.
New details emerged about Zehaf-Bibeau鈥檚 final moments on Friday.
According to The Canadian Press, several unnamed sources confirmed that Zehaf-Bibeau was struck by nearly 12 bullets fired by security officers before being fatally wounded by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers in the vicinity of the Parliamentary library.
After making it past RCMP officers, Zehaf-Bibeau entered Parliament鈥檚 Centre Block through the main entrance.
A security service source also told CP that a House of Commons guard tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the firearm away from Zehaf-Bibeau.
