Appeal in La Loche shooter case denied

The adult sentence is remaining in place for the La Loche school shooter.

His appeal was denied Thursday afternoon by two of the three judges at the Court of Appeal of Saskatchewan.

In January of 2016, the then-17-year-old shot and killed two brothers, 13-year-old Drayden Fontaine and 17-year-old Dayne Fontaine, before heading to the school and going on a shooting spree. There, the teen killed teacher Adam Wood and teacher’s aide Marie Janvier, as well as injuring several others.

In February of 2018, the teen was sentenced as an adult on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. He was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years.

The shooter is now 21 years old but still cannot be named because he can still appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In the appeal, the shooter alleged the trial judge made an error in sentencing.

It was submitted that the sentencing judge erred in her assessment of his moral culpability by misconstruing and failing to apply the evidence regarding his cognitive ability, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, mental disorders and Gladue factors.

The appeal was struck down in a 2-1 decision.

Following the decision, La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre told 650 CKOM that it was the best-case scenario.

“It adds some comfort to myself and I think to the community that the sentencing is as an adult,” he said.

St. Pierre believes the community would have been more impacted if the appeal was approved and the adult sentence re-evaluated.

“It would have stirred up more emotions,” he explained. “Knowing that the court system and the system in place upheld the decision of the first judge adds some comfort.”

Appeals and developments in the case bring the difficult 2016 shooting back to the forefront, which is hard for healing, according to St. Pierre.