Canadian media; do not incriminate the parents
for the behavior of children and youth, as well as for their destructive
actions in the society. Make accountable to the
government and its institutions, because they are the ones who dictate,
approve, and practice day to day criminal policies especially aimed to the
obliteration of children and youths.
TORONTO STAR: Danzig St. shooter is ‘poster child’ for
rehabilitation, defence lawyer argues
Public Housing staff,
their Security, and the Police know that many crimes perpetrated in the
dwellings of hell, would be avoidable. For evidence:
http://shatteredcanadianlives.blogspot.ca/
The Crown is seeking an adult
sentence for the gunman who was 17 at the time of the mass shooting that left
two dead and 23 injured.
By Alyshah HashamStaff Reporter
The young man who fired the shots
that set off the Danzig St. mass shooting in July 2012 has become the “poster
child for the concept of rehabilitation” over his four years in custody — and
should be sentenced as a youth, not an adult, his lawyer argued in court Friday.
The now 21-year-old was 17 at the
time of the shooting and cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
After a jury trial that ended in
March he was convicted of two counts of second-degree
murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of reckless discharge of a
firearm and one count of aggravated assault.
After being confronted and shown a
gun by party organizer Nahom Tsegazab, the accused shot Tsegazab twice, the
jury heard. One of the bullets passed through Tsegazab’s body and struck a
bystander.
Tsegazab fell to the ground but
fired 11 shots into the crowd in the direction of the then 17-year-old gunman,
hitting him in the leg. Another man who has never been identified also opened
fire.
Joshua Yasay, 23, and Shyanne
Charles, 14, were killed in the hail of bullets and 23 people were injured.
About six weeks later, Tsegazab’s younger brother Naod tracked down and shot
the initial gunman in retaliation.
The Crown is seeking for the
convicted man to be sentenced as an adult to a life sentence with parole
eligibility after seven years.
The maximum sentence for
second-degree murder for a youth is seven years — four in custody and three
under supervision in the community.
Crown Simon Heeney argued that it is
in the interest of both the man and the public to have him under supervision
for life.
He pointed to reports that say he
has thrived in a “structured environment” with many accommodations, and
questioned whether he had fully addressed the attitude that resulted in the
shooting.
“It’s pretty clear more work needs
to be done,” he said.
Heeney also noted that the young man
was 17-and-a-half years old at the time of the shooting — very close to being
an adult offender.
Defence lawyer Graham Zoppi asked
Superior Court Ian Nordheimer to allow the young man to be released under
community supervision through the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and
Supervision program, designed for youth with mental-health needs who have
committed serious violent offences.
Zoppi told the court that in both
case law and his own personal experience, he’d never seen a youth make such
incredible progress.
He went from a low-achieving student
involved in a criminal lifestyle to maintaining an A-average in a
construction-management course and is viewed by staff and teachers at the youth
jail as a leader, role model and mentor for others, Zoppi said.
He has taken almost every program
the facility has and created his own program focused on youth making amends
with their families, Zoppi said.
Three reports “portray a young man
far different from one who engaged in that type of behaviour four years ago,”
Zoppi said, adding the reports do not express concern about the young man being
a danger to the community.
“He deeply regrets the person that
he was and the actions he took at this time in his life.”
Zoppi stressed that a youth sentence
would give the man the best possible chance at reintegrating into the community,
with supports like a housing subsidy to keep him away from certain areas of the
city.
At the end of the hearing the young
man apologized directly to the families of Yasay and Charles for his actions
and making them relieve that terrible night through the trial.
“I know words cannot console you for
your loss and I know it might not mean much coming from me,” he said. “I’m
truly sorry . . . I have had lots of time over the last 48 months to think
about what I’ve done and I know now I was wrong.”
He told the court he had a support
network, including family, to make sure the 17-year-old who went into jail is
not same person who would return to the community.
After the sentencing hearing, Tyrone
Charles, grandfather to Shyanne Charles, told reporters he feels the apology
was sincere.
“But it’s not really up to me to
believe what he says. He has to believe what he says and live it and prove it,”
he said. “If he does the right thing like he says he is going to do, we will
have a safer community.”
During his victim-impact statement
in court, Charles urged the man to treat his sentence not as a punishment but
as a second lease on life.
“Make your parents proud,” he said.
“Use your time wisely.”
A sentencing decision is expected on
Dec. 7.
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