ONTARIO-Regional Supervising Coroner, Dr. Paul Dungey, announced today that inquests will be held into the deaths of Shimon Abrahams, Quinn Borde, Shane Gammie, Christopher Sipes, and Qin Long (Qinlong) Xue.
Officials say Abrahams, 41, died on June 13, 2022; Borde, 39, died on April 2, 2022; Gammie, 35, died on November 24, 2018; Sipes, 51, died on November 21, 2019; and Xue, 26, died on November 13, 2020.
All five men died while in custody or after transfer to hospital from Collins Bay Institution in Kingston. Inquests into their deaths are mandatory under the Coroners Act. Collins Bay is a correctional facility located in Kingston with a minimum security residential design model and a medium and maximum security site.
An inquest is a public hearing conducted by a coroner, lawyer, or retired judge before a jury of five community members. Inquests are held to inform the public about the circumstances of a death. The jury makes conclusions about the facts of the death and may make recommendations to prevent further deaths based on the evidence heard at the inquest.
Further details regarding the inquests, including the date and venue, will be provided at a later date.
