Teen who committed ‘gangland execution’ of high schooler gets max youth sentence | CBC News
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A Calgary teenager who shot another boy “gangland execution”-style was handed a seven-year sentence Wednesday, the maximum allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for second-degree murder.
Two of those seven years will be in jail. Five will be under community supervision.
The killer, who can only be identified as TK because of a publication ban under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, murdered Jal Acor Jal, 16, in 2022.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey delivered his sentencing decision Wednesday afternoon.
“As darkness fell on March 31, 2022, 15-year-old TK pressed the muzzle of his rifle to the back of Jal’s head,” recounted Jeffrey.
“[He] pulled the trigger, immediately ending Jal’s life — tragically, senselessly, horrifically, akin to a brutal gangland execution.”
Prosecutors Tahira Amin and Todd Buziak had argued TK should spend four of the seven years in jail.
But Jeffrey sided with defence lawyer Andrea Urquhart, finding that TK’s moral blameworthiness was lowered given his young age, lower IQ, autism diagnosis and the fact that he had no history of trouble with the law.
The meet up
During the trial, court heard that in 2022, TK bought a gun to impress a Snapchat group where some members discussed firearms.
“TK wanted badly to be accepted in the group and so set about getting his own gun,” said Jeffrey in his conviction decision.
In his testimony, TK told the court that Jal became interested in the gun and wanted to see it in person.
Jal’s family believes he was going to meet TK to buy a pair of sneakers.
Courtroom outburst
The two boys met near the Crowfoot LRT station and walked to a grassy field behind a city electrical substation, hidden from sight.
The evidence showed that when the fatal bullet was fired, the gun was pressed against the back of Jal’s head, Jeffrey ruled.
The judge called Jal “a fine young man.”
“His life was of immeasurable value; his death a profound tragedy,” said Jeffrey.
Jal was known as a talented athlete who played on both the basketball and football teams at St. Francis High School.
After the judge left the courtroom, some of Jal’s family members reacted in anger at the fact that his killer would spend just two of the seven years behind bars.
“F–king devil,” said one woman. “Evil.”