The Department of National Defence is “working hard” to respond to a Rebel News report linking a man suspected of throwing smoke bombs inside a Montreal church during an American musician and pastor's service nearly three months ago.

In late July, Sean Feucht's service at the Ministerios Restauracion church was disrupted when an individual entered the premises and threw a pair of smoke bombs on stage. Feucht, who endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump and ran as a Republican in a congressional election, faced a wave of Canadian cancellations prior to the incident.

Gabriel Lepage was then identified in a shocking expose by Rebel News journalist Alexa Lavoie connecting the alleged smoke bomber to a potential group of far-left Antifa extremists. 

When confronting Lepage directly about the allegations, he said “Rebel News are not real journalists” while sending texts on his phone, only for a masked thug clad in black to later appear. Two more masked individuals then showed up on bicycles, with one violently grabbing for the GoPro strapped around Lavoie's neck, ripping the camera off and jolting her in the process.

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Another woman arrived to help the group leave, raising questions about Lepage summoning Antifa radicals to attack journalists. Sources told Lavoie that following the interaction, the Department of National Defence held a meeting warning employees not to leak information to the media.

According to a LinkedIn profile, Lepage has worked Department of National Defence as a Graphic Technologist in Industrial Engineering since November 2020.

Now, a new report in the Toronto Sun confirms the department is working on a response to the Rebel News investigation.

“Neither representatives for Defence Minister David McGuinty, nor the Prime Minister’s Office, has responded to requests for comment so far,” wrote the Sun's Joe Warmington. “But DND senior communications advisor Alex Tetreault emailed to say he is ‘working hard’ on ‘a response and will send it out as soon as it is ready.’”

At time of the report's publication on Sept. 29 — and until this update on Oct. 2 — the DND had not responded to Lavoie's inquiries about the allegations toward, and identification of, their employee, but answered a request to obtain the statement it is preparing to make.

Montreal police previously confirmed they were looking into the smoke bombing incident, which occurred in July; however, a suspect has yet to be formally identified in the case.

“We have seen the video published by Ms. Lavoie from Rebel News,” a police spokesperson told the Sun.

“We would like to formally confirm that an official investigation is currently underway following the incident that occurred on July 25 at the Ministerios Restauracion church. The investigation is being conducted by the Montreal Police Operational Planning Investigation Team.”

Lepage has not been named by police as a suspect in the investigation.

Ministerios Restauracion was fined $2,500 for allowing Feucht to hold his service at the church. The church was also forced to repair the building's air conditioning unit after it was damaged by the smoke bombs.

“The truth is coming out about this man who attacked our peaceful church service in Montreal,” Feucht wrote on social media. “But no one is prepared for how deep this will go and far this will go.”