Teen will be sentenced in August after pleading guilty to murder in boy’s death

One of three teens accused in the death of a 15-year-old boy who was found in the TCU Financial building on Arlington Avenue after he was shot last November has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared Tuesday by video in Saskatoon youth court.

Sitting in a chair with his arms crossed, he answered “Yes, your honour” to Judge Lua Gibb’s questions after entering guilty pleas to the murder charge, possessing a firearm while prohibited and breaching a youth sentence from 2018.

The boy was 15 when he and two other teens were charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Nutana Suburban Centre neighbourhood shooting on Nov. 2, 2019.

He is the first to enter pleas. A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy are scheduled for a “robust case management” next month.

The 15-year-old victim is not being named. Privacy protections in the Youth Criminal Justice Act ban the identification of youth victims of crime alleged to have been committed by youth, unless the victim’s parent or guardian grants explicit permission for the victim’s name to be used.

The facts of the case will be read out during the sentencing hearing, scheduled for Aug. 20.

Gibb ordered the completion of a pre-sentence report, with a specific psychological assessment to canvass the suitability of an Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) sentence, reserved for youth with mental health needs who commit serious, violent offences.

Defence lawyer Lisa Watson also requested that the report canvass other risk areas, including substance abuse.

Prosecutor Tyla Olenchuk indicated the Crown is not giving notice of any application to elevate the teen to be sentenced as an adult.

The maximum youth sentence for second-degree murder is seven years, with at least four years spent in custody.

For a youth sentenced as an adult, the maximum term is life imprisonment with parole eligibility after seven years.