Toro stands firm on Haiti shooting story

Toro magazine has made some significant waves with this week's publication of a story about an ex-Mountie's shooting death in Haiti. The story accused Jordanian peacekeepers of failing to assist Mark Bourque after he was shot; as a result, he essentially bled to death. Toro said (and used phone pix to prove it) that the Jordianian members of the peacekeeping mission delayed summoning help during a critical first 20 minutes. According to a Canadian Press story, despite a denial by the UN agency responsible for peacekeepers, Toro is standing by its story and by its writer, Christopher Shulgan.

Bourque, 57, and a colleague were driving through the gang-controlled district called Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital when they came under fire from gunmen Dec. 20. Their vehicle came to a stop and a Jordanian armoured vehicle drove up in an apparent attempt to block the gunfire.

Bourque was shot in the leg and bleeding profusely. He died later from massive loss of blood, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti - known by its French acronym MINUSTAH - said Wednesday in a news release.

MINUSTAH also said the Jordanian peacekeepers provided first aid to Bourque at the scene and later used an armoured vehicle to move him to a hospital, adding the entire episode occurred within 40 minutes.

The Toro article "questions why the Jordanian soldiers at the scene when the kidnapping attempt occurred didn't do more to get Bourque to a hospital sooner," the magazine said in a statement. The medical help that the UN said was provided at the scene was "of secondary consequence, " Toro said.