Father of suspected Canadian killer gave his son a military-like rifle for 17th birthday
The father of one of the Canadian teenagers suspected of murdering Australian Lucas Fowler has explained how he gifted his son a toy gun at a young age.
Alan Schmegelsky has spoken out in the wake of his son’s body being found, following a three-week manhunt for Bryer Schmegelsky and his co-accused Kam McLeod.
The two Canadian teenagers are believed to have embarked on a killing spree, including the murders of 23-year-old Sydney man, Lucas Fowler and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, 24, and 64-year-old botanist Leonard Dyck.
In a segment on 60 Minutes to air on Sunday night, Mr Schmegelsky reveals he gifted his son, Bryer, an imitation weapon around the time of his 17th birthday.
Mr Schmegelsky said he bought the rifle so his son could “play with his friends”.
He also hoped by giving his son the toy, he would get off the couch and away from the violent computer games he would play regularly.
"It was getting him out of the woods with his buddies, it was getting him outside," Mr Schmegelsky told 60 Minutes.
"I never gave him a real gun. I never gave him a gun that would kill someone."
According to 60 Minutes, the rifle Mr Schmegelsky gave to his son is one of the most realistic imitation rifles on the market - Canadian police and military reportedly use similar models for training.
Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod were found dead three weeks after the bodies of Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese were discovered in a ditch in the western province of British Columbia.
The manhunt for the teenagers spanned over 3000km, and ended when the bodies of Schmegelsky and McLeod were found in thick scrub in northern Manitoba.
Police have not revealed how the two suspected murderers died.
In the 60 Minutes interview, Mr Schmegelsky said the ordeal of watching his son at the centre of a national manhunt was “the worst nightmare anyone could ever imagine”.
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