‘I didn’t shoot anyone,’ accused tells murder trial
Tyrone Chambers points jury in Brandon Musgrave case to actions of co-accused
Tyrone Chambers, charged with killing Hamilton teen Brandon Musgrave, says witnesses at the student party where it happened are mistaken when they testify he fired his gun that night.
“I know I didn’t shoot anyone,” Chambers told the jury during his testimony in his own defence on Monday.
Chambers, 31, is accused, along with Joshua Warner, 29, of seconddegree murder in Musgrave’s death, and with aggravated assault in the shooting of two other students who survived.
The victims were guests at a March 12, 2010, spring break party given by Columbia International College students living at 53 Dundurn St. S.
Court has heard Chambers did not like the music being played and Musgrave, 18, was trying to calm the situation. The dispute got heated and Chambers drew out his gun that was wrapped inside a sock, and pointed it at people. Bullets flew shortly afterward, but Chambers said it was Warner who did all the shooting.
Chambers, as he often did while on the stand, spoke directly to the jury when giving answers to his lawyer, and to Warner’s lawyer.
He told the jury he came into the court process expecting all the witnesses to say he was not the shooter.
“Because I had a firearm out, everyone assumes I did the shooting,” he said. “I didn’t shoot, period.”
Chambers warded off suggestions from Warner’s lawyer Devin Bains that one witness was clear that Chambers was shooting at one point.
“Of course he’s mistaken. He couldn’t see me shoot if I didn’t shoot.”
He disputed other earlier evidence that he fired his gun.
“It’s absolutely wrong. Not only is it wrong, but how many people have said no shots were fired until Mr. Warner pulled out a gun.”
He said witnesses were mistaking him for Warner.
Chambers, while questioned earlier by his lawyer Christopher Hicks, said he hid his handgun in a bush that night. He said he retrieved it later and threw it down into a sewer before fleeing to Halifax where police caught up with him sometime later. He did this, he said, because “I was scared. I was looking at four to five years in jail …” Chambers admitted he had a firearms possession conviction before the party and was prohibited from owning or possessing a gun.
Bains later asked why he never told his previous trial that was overturned by an appeals court that he threw his handgun down the sewer.
Chambers replied “Nobody asked me. I don’t volunteer information.”
Questioned by Bains again on why he didn’t return to the sewer to try to retrieve the gun to prove it was his gun, and that he didn’t fire it, Chambers said “I wish I had that foresight.”
Chambers also added that, in hindsight, it would have been best for him to remain at the party in the aftermath of the shootings so he could prove it wasn’t his gun that was fired.
Chambers insisted that the revolver police found was not his gun. “You’ve tried to place that revolver in my hand, and that wasn’t my gun,” he said.
When Bains suggested inconsistencies in his testimony, Chambers said “There are inconsistencies in everyone’s testimony. Everyone is doing their best to recollect the events.”