Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, later known as Marc Lépine, was born on October 26, 1964, in Montreal, Quebec. He was the son of Rachid Liass Gharbi, an Algerian immigrant, and Monique Lépine, a Canadian nurse. Gamil had a younger sister named Nadia, who was born in 1967. His father was often away for work, and he was not present when Gamil was born. During this time, Monique discovered that Rachid was having an affair.

Rachid was a non-practicing Muslim, while Monique was a former Catholic nun who had left organized religion. Gamil was baptized as a Catholic but grew up without any religious instruction. His mother described him as an atheist throughout his life. Gamil’s early childhood was marked by instability as the family moved frequently. They spent significant time in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico due to Rachid’s job.

In 1968, the family returned to Montreal just before a stock market crash caused major financial issues. Rachid was known to be controlling and abusive toward Monique and the children. His violent behavior included hitting his wife and needing her to be his personal secretary. Gamil and Nadia experienced neglect and abuse, particularly from their father, which created a difficult family dynamic.

After Rachid struck Gamil in 1970, leaving marks on his face, Monique decided to leave Rachid. Their legal separation occurred in 1971, followed by a divorce in 1976. After the separation, Gamil and Nadia lived with their mother, but at times they were cared for by other families during the week. This arrangement lasted until Monique could stabilize their living situation. Rachid’s contact with his children faded after the separation, and he made very few child support payments.

Monique returned to school to improve her nursing career and support the family. In 1976, she sought help from a psychiatrist regarding her children. The psychiatrist found nothing wrong with Gamil, who was shy and withdrawn, but suggested therapy for Nadia, who had behavioral issues.

In their new neighborhood of Pierrefonds, Gamil attended junior high and high school. He was a quiet student and sometimes found it hard to connect with his peers. Due to bullying surrounding his name and heritage, he changed his name to Marc Lépine at age 14. Gamil struggled with low self-esteem, compounded by his chronic acne and teasing from his sister about his social life.

To provide a positive male role model, Monique arranged for Gamil to have a Big Brother. They enjoyed activities like photography and followed motocross for two years until the program ended abruptly due to the Big Brother’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct.

Gamil had an interest in electronics and also enjoyed watching action and horror movies. He worked part-time while studying and later attempted to join the Canadian Forces but was rejected for being considered unsuited for military service. In 1982, he began college in a pure sciences program but later switched to an electronics technology program.

As Gamil entered adulthood, he moved to his own apartment and pursued further education, including courses in computer programming. However, he never completed his diploma. His relationships continued to be troubled, and he expressed a growing dislike of women in certain occupations.

On December 6, 1989, Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, known as Marc Lépine, entered the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec. He had planned this act for months. Earlier that year, he applied for a firearms-acquisition certificate and bought a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle. Lépine had been seen several times at the school before the incident.

On the day of the shooting, Lépine entered a second-floor classroom. He separated the male and female students. He ordered the approximately fifty men to leave and claimed he was fighting feminism. He then shot nine women who remained in the classroom, killing six of them. The men stood outside as this unfolded.

After the classroom shooting, Lépine continued through the building. He moved to other areas, including the cafeteria, corridors, and another classroom. In total, he killed fourteen women, all while injuring ten women and four men before ultimately turning the gun on himself. This event was characterized as a targeted attack against women.

A suicide letter was found in Lépine's jacket. The letter outlined his justification for the massacre and expressed his hatred towards feminists. After the shooting, he was buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. His actions would come to represent the issue of violence against women in Canada, and December 6 is now commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.