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La Loche shooter: Judge to decide if youth will be sentenced as adult

Aug 24, 2017 | 5:16 PM

Counsel involved with the sentencing hearing for a teen convicted of killing four and injuring seven in La Loche are set to make their final arguments in court tomorrow. 

Judge Janet McIvor is set to hand down her sentencing decision which will take into account two weeks worth of evidence from May 16 to 19 and June 13 to 16.

Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang is seeking an adult sentence, while defence lawyer Aaron Fox is seeking the teen, who is now an adult, remains sentenced as a youth. He suggested the youth would do better in a controlled facility like Kilburn Hall, where he has spent a significant amount of time since the case began early last year.  

The shooter, who was 17 years old at the time of the incidents cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The shootings took place in two locations in La Loche on January 22, 2016. Dayne and Drayden Fontaine, ages 17 and 13 respectively, were killed in a private residence. Adam Wood a 35-year-old teacher and Marie Janvier a 21-year-old teacher’s aide, were gunned down at the Dene High portion of La Loche Community School. Seven others were injured, including students and staff members.

During the two weeks of hearings in Meadow Lake, court heard a number of victim impact statements, evidence and psychiatric assessments from both Crown and defense witnesses. The youth also spoke in court at the end of the second week.

A date for McIvor’s decision has not been set, although she indicated that she would like the hearing held in La Loche instead of Meadow Lake. During the last day of court in June, the village’s mayor Robert. St Pierre said he would be consulting with the community about the process, as he said there are mixed emotions.

Court will commence at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath