Closing arguments in the case of a teen who killed four and injured seven others in last year’s La Loche shooting was set to begin Friday morning in Meadow Lake, but has been delayed.
Defence lawyer Aaron Fox filed a Gladue report, which looks at circumstances of Indigenous offenders when determining a sentence. In the report a psychiatrist and psychologist confirm the teen has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Judge Janet McIvor granted Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang's request to cross-examine the two defence mental health experts, but said the case must keep moving.
La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre told reporters outside court Friday the delay will impact those in the community trying to heal.
"A lot people, I think, want this process to move forward and move onto their healing journey," he said. "So, delaying it again on the defence just adds to that anxiety again. When are we going to go through this? What's the end result here? Is he going to be sentenced as a youth? Is he going to be sentenced as an adult? A lot of people want closure."
The teen pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in October. He killed four people and injured seven others in the January 2016 shooting. He shot two brothers – 17-year-old Dayne, and 13-year-old Drayden Fontaine – in a home in La Loche before going to the La Loche Community School and opening fire. He killed teacher Adam Wood, 35, and teacher’s aide Marie Janvier, 21, and injured seven others. He ran into a school washroom where he gave himself up after about 10 minutes of pacing around the school with a gun.
During the hearing in June the teen apologized to the victims and their families. Fox said he's remorseful, but Crown witnesses testified otherwise.
Stang had previously told reporters the teen should receive an adult sentence based on the gravity of the offence, the impact it's had on victims and the community of La Loche, and the fact that the teen was just a few weeks away from his 18th birthday at the time of the crimes. Stang presented evidence during the hearing that the teen became obsessed with the Columbine shooting and glorified violence.
A neuropsychologist called by the defence testified the teen's IQ of 68 is well below average and said only two per cent of people his age would have scored lower. A psychiatrist diagnosed the teen with six disorders including intellectual development disorder, conduct disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Fox argued the teen has made progress during his time at Kilburn Hall, and said a youth facility is the right fit for him.
The teen's identity is protected by a publication ban since he was 17 at the time of the crimes. If he is sentenced as an adult then the ban would be lifted.
The hearing is scheduled to resume on Sept. 1st with Stang cross-examining the two mental health experts and if there's time that day closing arguments would go ahead.
McIvor could hand down her verdict in La Loche, but St. Pierre is still consulting with the community. He said some people there are opposed to having the decision in La Loche due to safety concerns depending which way the verdict goes.
"But other community members have expressed that they'd rather have it in the community so its still a toss up, I'm still not sure where that's going to lead," St. Pierre said.
It could be months until there's a decision whether the teen is sentenced as an adult.
