**Title: Mother Testifies About Son's Mental Health Before Killings**

Carmen Campbell took the witness stand, recounting her son Richard Edwin's troubling behavior leading up to his admission of killing two men in downtown Toronto in April 2022. Campbell's testimony is crucial as Edwin seeks to prove he is not criminally responsible for his actions due to mental illness.

Edwin, 43, has confessed to fatally shooting 21-year-old Kartik Vasudev and 35-year-old Elijah Eleazar Mahepath during random attacks. Campbell described her son as increasingly paranoid and agitated, noting that she had not seen him for over two years before the incidents. She recalled a conversation from before the COVID-19 pandemic when Edwin asked her to help him apply for a gun license. "I said, 'What do you need that for? I'm not going to fill anything out,'" she testified.

The court heard that Edwin shot Vasudev outside Sherbourne subway station on April 7, 2022, and killed Mahepath two days later. Both victims were strangers to him, and surveillance footage captured the events surrounding the shootings. Following his arrest, police discovered multiple firearms in Edwin's apartment, most of which were legally owned.

Campbell described her son’s behavior changes, stating he had become nervous and unable to maintain his studies or employment. She mentioned that he had told her he was hearing voices around 2010, prompting her to seek medical help. However, she later learned that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia while living with his father in Ottawa.

During her testimony, Campbell expressed her fear of her son’s mental state. "I was a little scared to be there by myself because he was acting so paranoid," she said. She also recounted an instance where she hesitated to enter his apartment, preferring to meet him outside.

Under cross-examination, Campbell admitted to having limited contact with Edwin in his adult years. She was surprised to learn that he had been using cannabis regularly and had expressed preoccupations with white supremacists and anti-Black racism, which she had not known about.

The families of the victims were present in court, listening intently to Campbell's testimony. Vasudev's family described him as a polite and dedicated student, while Mahepath's aunt spoke of his intelligence and potential. "Elijah was one of the greatest guys you could find and very intelligent," she said, emphasizing the tragedy of his untimely death.

As the trial continues, a forensic psychiatrist is expected to testify for the defense, arguing that Edwin should be found not criminally responsible due to his mental disorder. In contrast, the Crown's expert will likely present a differing opinion. If the court finds Edwin not criminally responsible, he will be detained in a hospital. If convicted of murder, he faces a life sentence in prison.

Psychologist Stephanie Penney, who evaluated Edwin earlier this year, noted that he had not taken his medication for years but claimed he was not experiencing any symptoms. Penney expressed skepticism about this assertion, suggesting that Edwin likely remained symptomatic while living a socially isolated life.