SEEKING JUSTICE
Lecent Ross’s parents attend the court appearance of teens charged in their daughter’s death,
The man and young boy charged in connection with 14-year-old Lecent Ross’s shooting death made brief appearances in court Wednesday, as the girl’s grieving mother looked on.
Last week, Toronto police charged a 13-year-old boy with manslaughter and an 18-year-old man with criminal negligence in Ross’s shooting death last month.
Both teens also face a slew of gunrelated charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition.
Ross was shot on July 9 at a friend’s home in the Jamestown public housing complex near Martin Grove Rd. and Finch Ave. W.
Police have refused to reveal the circumstances of the death, including who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Ross.
Wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, the 13-year-old appeared briefly inside the prisoner’s box, emotionless and speechless as he was ordered to appear in court next week. Shortly after, the 18-year-old appeared in court wearing a blue track suit.
Both will remain in jail until their court appearances next week.
Ross’s mother, Alicia Jesquith, wanted to see the people alleged to have played a part in her daughter’s death, Keaton Austin, the family’s pastor from Abundant Life Assembly church, said outside court. Austin would not comment on whether Ross’ family knows the teens.
“She was angry, rightfully so,” Austin said, when asked about Jesquith’s reaction to the court appearances. “She wants justice for her daughter. She lost her daughter to gun violence, a senseless killing.”
Under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the 13-year-old boy’s name cannot be published. Police are not releasing the 18-year-old’s identity, saying that doing so might reveal the identity of the 13-year-old.
Ross’s mother and father, who have appealed for anyone with information on their daughter’s death to talk to police, remain unaware of exactly how their daughter died. Detectives have said a group of young people and a parent were present at the time of Ross’s death and that one of them called 911.
“The family doesn’t know what is going on, and rightfully the family needs some answers,” Austin said.
The Jamestown Cres. house where Ross was shot dead has been vacated since the shooting. Pastor Allan Bowen, also from Abundant Life Assembly, said he knows the family who once lived there and is trying to re-establish communication with them.
Legal experts have said the manslaughter charge in the case suggests the 13-year-old shot the young girl, but without any intention to cause her death or even serious harm.
The day of Ross’ death, police said they had recovered an illegal .40-calibre Smith & Wesson handgun. But according to court documents, the 18-year-old was allegedly in possession of a loaded prohibited firearm — a Taurus .40-calibre semi-automatic gun, inside the home where Ross was killed.
The18-year-old is also charged with giving a false statement. Court documents show he told police an acquaintance brought a firearm into the house the night before Ross’s death and that the 18-year-old believed the acquaintance had then taken it with him.
Court documents allege police recovered two bullets at the scene: a live .40-calibre Smith & Wesson Hornady and a spent .40-calibre Winchester.