Teen killer gets life for rampage that killed four
School shooting was ‘planned and calculated’
LA LOCHE, SASK. • A teenager who killed four people and injured seven others in a shooting rampage in his remote community last year will face life in prison.
Judge Janet McIvor ruled in La Loche Friday that the teen, who was a few days short of 18 on Jan. 22, 2016, would be sentenced as an adult, a decision met with applause from people in the courtroom. The first-degree murder verdict carries an automatic term of life behind bars with no chance at parole for at least 10 years.
The teen was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of teacher’s aide Marie Janvier and teacher Adam Wood, two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine, and seven counts of attempted murder.
On Jan. 22, he attended classes at La Loche Community School in the morning and then went home for lunch. After eating, he went across the street to where 17-year-old Dayne and 13-year-old Drayden lived. The teen took a rifle from their house and shot Dayne 11 times, the last shot delivered as Dayne begged the teen not to kill him.
McIvor told court the youth has “cognitive challenges” and touched on the “incredible level of violence” in both the shooting at a residence and at the school. She said the school shooting was “planned and calculated,” saying the fact that the youth shot teacher Adam Wood twice at close range showed its calculated nature.
The judge said the shootings have had a profound impact on the community, leading to increased substance abuse and suicide.
The teen took Dayne’s mother’s keys and had been about to drive to school in her truck when Drayden, who had not realized what had happened, ran up and asked for a ride to school.
The teen fatally shot Drayden in the face and head, then drove to the school, where he opened fire. Janvier and Wood were killed and seven others were injured.
In a videotaped interview with an RCMP officer months later, the teen said he never meant to kill Dayne and Drayden.
“They weren’t part of the plan,” he told an officer through tears.
“What was the only thing you planned that day?” the officer asked.
“Go to the school and shoot those f--ing kids,” the teen responded.
A caseworker at Kilburn Hall Youth Centre, where the teen has been held since the shooting, said the teen becomes emotional at night thinking about the deaths of the two brothers.
Forty-six people affected by the 2016 school shooting submitted victim impact statements to the court, several describing ongoing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
“These were not kid crimes like stealing apples off a tree or breaking windows, break and enters, these were adult crimes and need to be punished as such,” Phyllis Longobardi, a teacher who was injured in the school shooting, told the judge in May.
“I don’t care how long he gets behind bars, but I truly want him to have a life sentence. He cannot be given the opportunity to forget what he did to so many.”
“We are a strong community,” said La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre outside of court. “We’re pleased with the decision,” he said. “Still, we still got hurt people. We still have people that are … angry and upset and it’s still what we have to live with.”
Prosecutors said outside court they hope the fact the shooter will be sentenced as an adult will help the community heal.
“I hope that the community can have closure at this point,” said Crown prosecutor Pouria Tabrizi-Reardigan. “This was a very tragic event and we felt that we could make an application for an adult sentence, because there were very compelling reasons for it, and we appreciate that the court listened to our submissions.”
Defence lawyer Darren Kraushaar said they will be considering “all our options,” but it was “too early” to say if an appeal will be filed.