Did Louis Riel murder Thomas Scott?

• A. Not sure
• B. It is unknown
• C. Yes
• D. No. Although Louis Riel was one of the votes supporting his execution, he was not the one who shot the bullet that killed Scott

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that someone can be responsible for a political decision without personally committing a violent act. Louis Riel led the provisional government during the Red River Rebellion and supported the decision to execute Thomas Scott after a court-like process. However, the act of firing the shot was carried out by others on the firing squad, not by Riel himself. So, while Riel approved or supported the sentence, he did not personally kill Scott. That's why the correct understanding is that he did not murder Thomas Scott, even though he was involved in the decision to execute him.