A coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Gabriel Johnson Choi, Hasan Khaled Ayyad and Allison Dawn Gilchrist is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, until Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.

The inquest will be held at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court (20th floor, 4720 Kingsway, Metrotower II, Metrotown, Burnaby).

On Dec. 29, 2020, the BC Coroners Service received a report advising of three deaths following events involving the Chilliwack Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At the time of their deaths, Gabriel Johnson Choi was 35 years old, Hasan Khaled Ayyad was 29 years old and Allison Dawn Gilchrist was 43 years old.

The Coroners Act permits the chief coroner to direct an inquest if the chief coroner has reason to believe the public has an interest in being informed about the circumstances surrounding a death, or the death resulted from a dangerous practice or circumstance and similar deaths could be prevented through recommendations made to the public or an authority.

A coroner’s inquest is a non-fault-finding public inquiry that serves three primary functions:

• to determine the facts related to a death, including the identity of the deceased and how, when, where and by what means the individual died, as well as a classification for the death;
• to make recommendations, where appropriate and supported by evidence, to prevent deaths in similar circumstances; and
• to ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death of an individual will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored.

Presiding coroner Carolyn Maxwell and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding these deaths. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations, as outlined above, though the jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.

Anyone attending the inquest, including media, is prohibited from broadcasting and publishing inquest proceedings, including over social media. Supreme Court-accredited media are permitted to record the proceeding solely for the accuracy of their notes; the recording is not to be broadcast in any form. Accredited media members must provide proof to the sheriff and always visibly display their accreditation when they are recording or using electronic devices in court. Recording for any other purpose, or by anyone without appropriate accreditation, is strictly prohibited. 

Learn More:

For more information about inquests, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/death/coroners-service/inquest-schedule-jury-findings-verdicts

To learn about the BC Coroners Service, visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/coroners/