The first time a teen who killed four people and injured seven others in a shooting in La Loche addressed court, he said nobody deserved to get shot and he wishes he could take it all back.
He held back tears when he said he pretends two brothers he killed are still with him today when he talks to them in his cell at Kilburn Hall.
The shooter's voice was soft when he read a statement from the witness stand Friday. He addressed the victims one by one and told them things like, "You were not a target and I'm sorry.”
To some of those he injured, he said he hopes they get better. He told one student, "I didn't know you but you were not a target. You just happened to be there at the wrong place at the wrong time."
The victims who were under 18 when they were injured can't be identified, as well as the teen shooter, who was weeks away from his 18th birthday at the time of the shooting.
He killed teacher Adam Wood, 35, at close range and said, "If he was here right now I would say to him I didn't really know you but I heard you were a good person, a kind person."
The teen said teacher's aide Marie Janvier, 21, was not a target and he's sorry for shooting her. He noted she helped students graduate. Her mother has been in court each day for the sentencing hearing and he apologized to her for taking away her daughter and ruining her life.
He injured assistant principal Phyllis Longobardi and in his statement said she was a good person who didn't deserve to be shot.
Charlene Klyne, a teacher at the school who lost her eyesight after being shot in the face, was also mentioned as a teacher who helped students. He said, "You weren't someone who was a target. You were such a good teacher."
When the teen talked about two brothers — Dayne and Drayden Fontaine — he killed in a home, he began wiping away tears and took time to compose himself.
"Dayne was my best friend growing up," he said through tears. "We did everything together."
He said Drayden was his friend too and talked about watching movies and playing video games together.
"They didn't deserve to get shot," he said.
"When I sit in my cell I pretend both of them are sitting with me.”
The Meadow Lake courtroom was almost full when the teen read his statement, with many people crying and hugging. Numerous Kleenex boxes were passed around.
La Loche mayor Robert St. Pierre said he felt a mix of emotions while listening to the teen’s statement.
“It takes me back to the terrible day when lives were taken and other lives have been affected for the rest of their lives and a community is distraught,” he said outside Meadow Lake Provincial Court Friday.
The teen’s lawyer said his remorse is genuine and it was very difficult for him to speak publicly in court.
“In my view, it's a sincere effort by him to speak publicly about something in which he is very sorry, struggling still to deal with himself,” Aaron Fox said.
The issue of remorse was debated during the hearing and Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang noted there’s a chance the teen could have written about being remorseful in the statement only after hearing people in court discuss it.
“It was commented on by several witnesses throughout the hearing that remorse in particular for the victims at the school was not a feature that was present in their dealings with the young person,” Stang said, but noted it’s up to the judge to decide.
Psychologist Dr. Katelyn Harker testified during the hearing the teen told her he thought some of the victim impact statements read last month were exaggerated.
Prior to the teen reading his statement, neuropsychologist Dr. Monty Nelson testified. He had about an hour-long conversation with the teen Thursday evening and discussed the teen reading the statement.
The teen told him, because he has trouble expressing his feelings, he was afraid if he made a statement people wouldn't think "he gave a s---" when he actually does.
Nelson also said the teen has progressed since he last spoke with him in July.
"He was more engaged, more talkative on his own," Nelson said."I'm hoping that would be associated with some growth and development in his skills."
Nelson conducted tests on the shooter in July and found he scored low on numerous tests.
His IQ of 68 is "well below average" and only two per cent of people his age would have scored lower, according to Nelson.
His weaknesses include language skills and problem solving.
"His ability to cope with complex issues is quite limited."
Even his strength of visual learning is still limited, Nelson said. In a visual test the teen scored in the first percentile on one part and below the first percentile on the other.
The teen “needs plenty of time to be able to think. He doesn't do well when he's rushing," Nelson testified.
The shooter was his usual quiet self and didn’t act any different prior to the shooting, his aunt testified Thursday.
“He was the same quiet boy. There was nothing out of the ordinary,” she said.
The aunt said the teen’s family members are “very religious people” and have forgiven the shooter, along with other members of the community. She said the teen has changed for the better since his arrest. He now greets family members with a hug when they visit him at Kilburn Hall and is more talkative, according to his aunt.
On Jan. 22, 2016, the teen shot and killed Dayne and Drayden in a home in La Loche. Dayne was shot 11 times after pleading for his life, according to an agreed statement of facts. The shooter later expressed remorse for killing the brothers, saying it wasn’t part of the plan, but going to the school and opening fire was.
While driving a truck to La Loche Community School, the shooter posted in a Facebook group chat, writing, “just killed 2 ppl” and “bout to shoot ip (sic) the school.”
Inside, he opened fire and killed Wood, Janvier and injured seven others.
RCMP officers arrested the teen after he exited a school washroom unarmed, announcing he was the shooter. He entered the school at 1:04 p.m. and was arrested at 1:16 p.m., according to the agreed facts.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in October.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Aug. 25 in Meadow Lake, but a date for sentencing has not yet been set. Judge Janet McIvor said she is prepared to deliver her verdict in La Loche, but St. Pierre told court he’d like to first consult with the community.
“Safety is a concern. We still have a lot of people that are going through this process and going through the emotions, who have lost loved ones and who have been affected by this tragedy,” he said.
The teen being sentenced in La Loche could be positive in terms of the community receiving closure, or negative depending on what the sentence is, according to St. Pierre.
