The good friend of a Canadian killed in Mexico says she spoke to Gabriele Schart on the telephone simply moments earlier than the girl was shot in a gasoline station theft.
Raquel Shulman says Schart was making the lengthy journey by highway again to Canada with a good friend after they made a cease exterior of Queretaro Metropolis, Mexico to gas up.
She says that’s when the pair have been robbed at gunpoint – Mexican police mentioned Schart acquired a deadly shot within the face.
Shulman says she’s attempting to course of what occurred as she mourns a good friend who had an incredible sense of journey and cherished to journey.
Mexican police say Schart, who was from London, Ont., died on the scene whereas the good friend suffered accidents to his arm on Saturday.
World Affairs Canada has mentioned it’s conscious of the demise of a Canadian in Mexico.
Schart, 57, was transferring again to Canada to assist look after her growing old mom when she was killed, Shulman mentioned.
“I spoke to her whereas she was on the gasoline station she was killed at,” Shulman mentioned in a telephone interview from the Larger Toronto Space.
“She was telling me it was her final tank of gasoline till the (U.S.) border.”
Schart was travelling from Zipolite, Mexico, with a good friend and pets and had expressed issues over bandits concentrating on motorists on Mexican highways, certainly one of her sons wrote in a web-based submit.
Mexican police mentioned the pair have been robbed at a gasoline station, with the thieves firing three photographs. One hit Schart within the face, killing her, whereas the good friend was shot within the arm, they mentioned.
Shulman mentioned she knew Schart for greater than 15 years and met her at a bar in Canada the place they found they have been courting the identical man.
The connection with the male suitor didn’t final however the friendship endured at the same time as Schart moved to Mexico about eight years in the past to pursue a slower-paced life.
Shulman mentioned Schart was enjoyable to be round and an incredible journey companion.
“She was all the time laughing and laughing. She had the identical love of journey that I had,” Shulman mentioned. “She was enjoyable and talkative and insightful … we have been all the time in a position to discuss to one another about every little thing.”
World Affairs Canada has mentioned consular officers are offering help and help to the household and are in contact with native authorities.
It added that Canadians ought to take care when travelling overseas.
“The Authorities of Canada advises all Canadians travelling to Mexico to train a excessive diploma of warning as a result of excessive ranges of legal exercise and kidnapping,” World Affairs mentioned in an announcement Thursday, including that it “additional identifies regional dangers in Mexico outlining areas the place Canadians ought to keep away from non-essential journey and keep away from all journey.”
The workplace of Mexico’s lawyer common in Queretaro mentioned it couldn’t remark past what had been launched by police.
Mexican police mentioned Thursday that they have been investigating and “the crime won’t go unpunished.”
Schart’s household has began a GoFundMe to cowl transportation and funeral prices.
