Troop leader admits to shooting scout with pellet gun

A former Scouts Canada leader who admitted to shooting one of his young troop members with a pellet gun has been ordered to serve a six-month communitybased sentence.

Todd Russell Robertson, 49, was sentenced in provincial court Dec. 13 after admitting to shooting one of the seven youths in his charge during a July 2016 weekend fundraiser and firearms competition in Calgary.

According to an agreed statement of facts cited in provincial court Judge Allan Fradsham’s reasons for sentencing filed earlier this month, Robertson was becoming frustrated through the weekend with a 12-year-old boy who he ultimately shot four times with a pellet gun.

The boy’s identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban.

At one point, court heard, Robertson called the boy a “f---ing dumb-ass” when the youth accidentally put up a target backward.

Over the course of the weekend, Robertson’s troops befriended a competitor in the marksmanship competition who had access to pellet guns capable of shooting “peasized plastic projectiles.”

On the last night of the trip, the Scouts were gathered around a fire laughing when Robertson told them to be quiet.

The youths got loud again, and then one of the Scouts shot and hit a clay pigeon set up as a target in a field. The boy, who Robertson was already irritated with, yelled “good job buddy.” Robertson yelled something at the boy, then picked up a pellet gun and, from a distance of about three metres, shot the boy four times, hitting him in the face, arms and hand, according to the agreed statement of facts.

Robertson then fired the gun at his own hand, and, upon realizing the projectiles were “actually quite painful,” ordered the gun owner to put the weapons away.

Robertson, who had volunteered with Scouts Canada for 15 years, was immediately dismissed by the organization following the shooting.

He pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, and was given a sixmonth sentence to be served in the community. In his sentencing decision, Fradsham noted Robertson acknowledged having anger issues, and that he had taken a 12-hour anger management course ahead of sentencing.

Court also heard Scouts Canada had no previous knowledge of Robertson acting aggressively, and that he had been a “good role model.”

Robertson’s six-month sentence will be served in the community and he will be under house arrest except for approved outings.