14-year-old charged with 2nd-degree murder after grandmother allegedly killed with axe in Sainte-Julienne

A 14-year-old boy was charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday, after his grandmother died Tuesday night of injuries allegedly sustained from an attack with an axe.

According to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), officers were dispatched to a residence on Chemin Payette around 2 a.m. Tuesday after receiving information suggesting a violent incident had taken place. When police arrived, they found the woman suffering from severe injuries.

Emergency responders transported the victim to hospital in critical condition, where she later died.

Shortly after the reported armed assault, the teenager allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle belonging to the victim. He is said to havey lost control a short distance away – where officers later arrested him.

He had initially been charged via video conference Tuesday night with aggravated assault, but those charges were upgraded on Wednesday.

Second-degree murder generally means a deliberate killing that occurs without planning and does not fall under any of the categories of first-degree murder.

The teen will now undergo an evaluation at the Philippe-Pinel Psychiatric Institute in Montreal for 60 days to determine whether or not he was suffering from a mental health problem at the time of events – and if he can be held criminally responsible for his alleged actions.

The case will return to court on Jan. 6, 2026.

It’s reported that when the suspect was two years old, his mother was shot and killed in 2013 at their Longueil home. He and his sister were said to be present at the time.