• Homicide Topics
Weapons and Origin of Attack / Summary
The Weapons and Origin of Attack / Tables page contains 20 tables (list below) that identify taxi driver homicide victims (a) by the type of weapon or means used to commit the homicide and (b) by where the attack originated: inside the cab, outside the cab or from outside the cab.
The tables cover 220 of the 225 cases listed in Canadian Taxi Driver Homicides. The following cases have been excluded because not enough information is currently available about weapons or means used to commit the homicides or about the origin of the attacks:
Each of the 20 tables is subdivided by "Origin," i.e., the place from which the attack originated:
Overall, a total of 138 homicides originated inside the cab (62% of 220).
A total of 72 homicides originated outside the cab (33% of 220)
A total of 10 homicides (5% of 220) were the result of attacks from outside the cab (two cases of vehicular homicide and eight shootings).
Origin (2), Outside the cab, records instances where the driver was killed outside the cab, or where the victim's body was found outside the cab with no evidence of an attack inside the cab.
However, it is important to note that many (perhaps most) of these "outside" attacks would have begun inside the cab when the killer became a threat. In such cases the victim could have been coerced into leaving the cab (as in the cases of Michael March, Jim Morris, and Paramjit Singh), or exited the cab in an effort to escape (as in the cases of Sebastian Giardetti, Harold Hamilton and Keith McCallum).
Beatings (no weapon)
Ten victims were beaten and/or kicked to death, while 12 other victims suffered beatings in combination with assault by other weapons or means: firearms (7), knife or similar (4), ligature 1.
Total victims: 22 (10% of 220).
Blunt force
Twenty-eight victims were killed by blunt force trauma while 11 other victims suffered blunt force attacks in combination with assault by other weapons or means: firearm (1), knife or similar (4), ligature (6), car as weapon (2), fall from height (1). These numbers do not tally with the total number of victims because some victims were assaulted by three different weapons or means.
Total victims: 39 (18% of 220).
Tables:2 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15
Firearms
Eighty-one victims were killed by firearms while 11 other victims were died of shooting in combination with assault by other weapons or means: beating (7) and blunt force, knife, car as weapon and drowning (one victim each).
Total victims: 92 (42% of 220).
Knife or similar
Sixty-two victims were stabbed to death by knives or similar weapons, while 11 other victims died of stabbing in combination with assault by other weapons or means: beating (4), blunt force (4), ligature (3), firearm (1) and car as weapon (1).
Total victms: 73 (33% of 220).
Ligature
Three victims were strangled to death and another seven victims were strangled in combination with assault by other weapons or means: beating (1), blunt force (4), knife or similar (3) and car as weapon (1). These numbers do not tally with the total number of victims because two victims were assaulted by three different weapons or means.
Total victims: 10 (5% of 220)
Car as weapon
Seven victims died from the use of a car as a weapon. Two were victims of vehicular homicide, three were run over by their own taxi, one died of a heart attack after being locked in the trunk of his taxi, and one was trapped by an open car door and slammed into a power pole after the killer took control of the taxi.
Three other victims were run over by their taxis after assault by other weapons or means: blunt force (1), ligature (1), firearm (1), knife or similar (1). One victim was assaulted by three different weapons or means.
Total victims: 10 (5% of 220)
Other
A total of five victims died by other means. One died in a dynamite explosion. One was set afire and died of burns. One died of smoke inhalation with 12 other victims when he was imprisoned in a burning building. One drowned in a water-filled ditch after being shot in the neck. One fell over a cliff after being struck on the head.
Total victims: 5 (2% of 220)
Tables:Fire or explosion: 7 / Fall from height: 15. Drowning: 19
Table 1: Beating (no weapon)
Table 2: Blunt force
Table 3: Firearm
Table 4: Knife or similar
Table 5: Ligature
Table 6: Car as weapon
Table 7: Fire or explosion
Table 8: Beating in combination with firearm
Table 9: Beating in combination with knife or similar
Table 10: Beating in combination with ligature
Table 11: Blunt force in combination with firearm
Table 12: Blunt force in combination with knife or similar
Table 13: Blunt force in combination with ligature
Table 14: Blunt force in combination with car as weapon
Table 15: Blunt force in combination with a fall
Table 16: Firearm in combination with knife or similar
Table 17: Knife or similar in combination with ligature
Table 18: Firearm in combination with car as weapon
Table 19: Firearm in combination with drowning
Table 20: Knife or similar in combination with car as weapon
