‘Still living through the horror’: Montreal father speaks out against gun violence after son killed
Posted August 11, 2025 5:37 pm.
Last Updated August 11, 2025 5:52 pm.
Obenson Dorélus is calling for action to uproot the causes of gun violence after his 21-year-old son was shot dead in broad daylight on July 9 in Anjou.
He said losing his son to a shooting is a pain no parent should face, and hopes his story will spark action to prevent more deaths.
“We’re still living through the horror we experienced,” Dorélus told CityNews Monday.
Dorélus’ son, Marbens, was shot on in a friend’s apartment on Rue Des Ormeaux, less than 250 metres away from his own home. His father said he was watching a soccer match when the incident happened.
To this day, Dorélus said he doesn’t know why his son was shot.
“Marbens Dorélus was a nice boy,” he said. “He was kind and hardworking. He liked to help people.”
A CEGEP student at Collège Maisonneuve, Marbens dreamed of starting his own business and balanced his studies with extra shifts at Costco. Despite concerns from his mother about overworking, his father said that Marbens would often reassure her.
“‘Mom, I’m still young and strong. Let me work,'” Dorélus attributed him to have said.
Montreal police told CityNews that it was too early to confirm any details on the case and that officials have yet to determine a motive behind the shooting.
Dorélus said that his son never ran into trouble with the law. He claims to have known each of his son’s friends, including the one he was staying with at the time of the shooting.
“He wasn’t sick. He didn’t have an accident. He wasn’t hanging out with the wrong crowd,” Dorélus said. “That’s what revolts us about the situation.”
The loss has left the family grieving, but Dorélus said he is determined to turn the tragedy into action. He said that himself, his wife and Marbens’ brother are resolute to “remain who we are,” despite facing a turbulent mourning process.
“It’s about never letting external events change our character or determine who we are; we have to choose who we want to be,” he said.
Shootings have become all too common in Anjou, Dorélus said, adding that he is now urging the government to intervene directly in tackling gun violence and the distribution of illegal firearms.
“I hope I will be the last person to have to live through this,” he said.
Now, he’s turning his pain into something positive, starting the Barbens Dorélus foundation. Currently undergoing its preliminary legal paperwork, Dorélus said the new organization will aim at raising awareness among young people about the causes of gun violence in hopes to prevent another tragedy.
“We know that there are many people who are victims of circumstances, of the system, etc.,” he said. “We want to help those people.”
