Bail for teen charged with shooting tourist

The Morley teen charged with attempted murder in the August shooting of a German tourist on a highway west of Calgary has been granted bail.

Provincial court Judge Peter Barley on Thursday agreed with defence counsel Balfour Der there were insufficient grounds to detain the youth, who faces more than a dozen charges.

Among the conditions the 17-year-old must abide by are that he live with his grandmother and under house arrest, with certain exceptions.

He is also prohibited from possessing weapons or consuming intoxicants, and must post $2,500 cash.

Crown prosecutor Dane Rolfe had opposed the teen’s release.

At the start of the bail hearing on Wednesday, Barley imposed a publication ban at Der’s request on submissions of counsel and the judge’s reasons from granting bail.

The boy, who can’t be identified, was arrested without incident on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation on Aug. 24, and a gun was seized by police.

The bullet that struck the German tourist in the head was subsequently removed by surgeons and sent for forensic testing.

The man, identified in court documents as Horst Stewin, was driving on Highway 1A in a Dodge Durango on Aug. 2 with his wife, son and son’s girlfriend near Morley on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.

Police say a black sedan pulled alongside the Durango and someone in the sedan opened fire, striking Stewin in the head.

The attack caused him to veer off the road before crashing into a stand of trees.

Stewin underwent surgery after being airlifted to hospital, and police said he may suffer long-term or permanent effects of the shooting.

Stewin and his family were flown home to Germany days after the shooting.