Thread by @nziafati

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry resumes this afternoon.

Stay tuned for updates and our story later @chronicleherald.

Here's a link to the live webcast: desmondinquiry.ca/webcast.html

#ICYMI, here's some background on who's testifying this week and the objectives of the provincial inquiry: saltwire.com/nova-scotia/ne…

Testifying today is Shonda Borden, Lionel Desmond's sister-in-law.

Borden says her older sister Shanna was like a "second mother" to her and her twin Sheldon.

She adds that Shanna loved children and was a "confident and social" person.

Borden says Shanna and Lionel Desmond started dating in high school.

Describing Lionel, she says "it was always nice to have him come around and help out."

He used to help out with chores, "was really fun" and "you could talk to him about anything," she adds.

Borden says when Shanna and Lionel initially planned to get married, Lionel never showed up.

Her dress was there, guests were coming in, people were waiting, but he didn't show up at that time, she recalls.

"She was left at the altar."

Borden says all she knows about that occasion was that Lionel "was dealing with something" at the time.

She says she never asked her sister Shanna much about what happened because "it wasn't the best experience for her."

Borden says Shanna and Lionel lived with her for about six months in New Brunswick.

During that time, Lionel once grabbed Shanna by the throat, she says, adding it seemed to be his PTSD from serving in Afghanistan sneaking up on him.

Borden says Lionel would sometimes speak about experiencing racism in the military.

It had a "major impact" on him, she says, since he had just returned from serving or fighting alongside those same people in another country who were being racist towards him.

Shanna and Lionel often confided in Borden when they were arguing.

Borden says from 2013 and on, the couple's arguments became more serious. They would often argue about finances.

Borden says Lionel would sometimes take away Shanna's access to her vehicle, at times for an entire month.

Shanna would then use her parents' vehicle to get around and to go to school.

Borden says Lionel would raise his voice, go spin the tires in the driveway, "curse and yell excessively" when he was angry with his wife Shanna.

But, she says Lionel never showed any physical aggression towards Shanna or their daughter Aaliyah.

Borden says Shanna was very protective of Aaliyah and didn't want her to be around Lionel when he had those "outbursts."

She recalls Aaliyah once telling her, "I love my Daddy, when he’s good, he’s really good with me. But when he’s mad or upset, he scares me..."

Borden says it was in late 2015 or early 2016 when Shanna and Lionel spoke about a possible divorce. Lionel seemed concerned about custody and when he would get to see his daughter.

"He was sad, I think he was more so lost," Borden adds.

Borden says her sister Shanna expressed concern for her safety one time in 2015.

Lionel was having an episode and Borden says she told Shanna to calm down and not engage. She says Shanna then replied with, "It's not Shanna, Shanna when you find me dead on the kitchen floor."

Inquiry counsel Shane Russell is reading messages Lionel sent Borden on Facebook on April 23, 2016.

In part, Lionel wrote, "I am going to be divorced and homeless so nice knowing you.”

Borden says these kinds of messages from Lionel were "common."

"In 2016, it was constant, constant messages," Borden says.

In a series of messages, Lionel told Borden he had his eyes "on a 22 magnum."

Borden says she asked him why he was talking about guns.

He replied saying, "That calms me down...brings back memories..." Borden reckons he was talking about serving in the Afghan War.

Borden testifies that Lionel would regularly send her messages about what he thought was wrong with him.

He would make mentions of a concussion and say his "mind's messed up."

Borden says she received a text from Shanna on Nov. 30, 2015.

In that text, she says Shanna wrote that Lionel was outside, yelling and cursing and said that he was going to "shoot them all."

Borden says the last time she spoke with Lionel was over the phone on Jan. 1, 2017, a few days before he shot and killed Shanna, their 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah, his mother Brenda and himself.

She recalls chatting with him about their March break plans.

Borden says Lionel called her again on Jan. 2 and the morning of Jan. 3, 2017, but she missed both calls.

Judge Warren Zimmer says inquiry counsel may be in touch with Borden to get access to more of her messages with Lionel.

He says a psychiatrist may look over them to do an analaysis of Lionel to better understand what was going on with him & why things happened the way they did.

And Borden is done testifying.

The inquiry will hear more evidence tomorrow morning.