91原创鈥檚 mass shooting spree on July 25, 2022, left Steven Furness and Paul Wynn dead, and two others injured. The 91原创 Advance Times reconnects with victims鈥� families and first responders on the shooting鈥檚 first anniversary.

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About a year before he was killed in the July 25 mass shooting in 91原创, Steven Furness took a trip with his father, Stewart, to Mount Seymour.

A photo from the day shows him smiling and looking relaxed. It鈥檚 one of Stewart鈥檚 favourite pictures of his late son.

鈥淗e was happy that day, because he loved snowboarding,鈥� Stewart recalled.

鈥淪teven, in some ways, could often be a very happy person, despite the misery of his life,鈥� said Dad, noting his son struggled with mental health issues and addiction most of his life.

Stewart said he did everything he could to help his son.

鈥淚f he got soaking wet in the winter time, he would give me a call, and I would bring him some dry clothes and take the wet ones home,鈥� Stewart recalled.

鈥淎s a parent of an addict, I was never sure if I would ever see him again,鈥� Stewart added.

鈥淚 could never be certain,鈥� he said, noting when he got the news that his son had been shot, it wasn鈥檛 the shock it would have been for other parents.

In the year since, Stewart has been trying to find out why it happened, and has been told it will probably be at least another year before a coroner鈥檚 inquest is held 鈥� if at all.

He鈥檚 reviewed the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) report that found the RCMP officer who killed the shooter likely 鈥渟aved many lives, including his own,鈥� a conclusion Stewart emphatically agrees with.

鈥淗e did the right thing,鈥� Stewart said.

鈥淚 have the highest regard for the police.鈥�

He鈥檚 also spoken with one of the shooting victims, the man who survived being wounded by the gunman, who described to Stewart how he grappled for the weapon after he was shot in the leg.

And he鈥檚 heard rumours that he believes to be credible, that the gunman was having mental health issues, 鈥渁 complete breakdown鈥� before he went on his rampage.

READ ALSO: Father of 91原创 mass shooting victim lobbies for new homeless shelter

Stewart is frustrated by the response to his campaign to get a low-barrier homeless shelter to help get people off the streets in the wake of the shootings.

At a 91原创 City council meeting on Jan. 16, Stewart told councillors that while municipal powers are limited when it comes to homelessness, the City could rent space for a low-barrier homeless shelter as a 鈥渟top-gap measure,鈥� adjusting zoning and bylaw regulations to make it possible.

鈥淲e all bring our pets in for the evening, but we leave our homeless out in the rain. This is wrong,鈥� Stewart told councillors.

Several months later, he鈥檚 had a few meetings. But none of it, he said, has made a difference.

鈥淚鈥檝e achieved nothing,鈥� he said.

Besides housing, Stewart said what is desperately needed is quicker treatment for addicts like his son, who face long waits to get in when they finally go to get help.

鈥淭hey have nothing to offer except, 鈥榗ome back in three months鈥�,鈥� Stewart commented. 鈥淸An addict is] going to be dead in three months.鈥�

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鈥� Stay tuned for more

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