Teen handed 18-month sentence for swarming attack that killed Grade 10 student

Madeline Smith · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 8:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A young antheral who took portion successful a fatal five-on-one swarming onslaught extracurricular an Edmonton precocious schoolhouse has been handed an 18-month sentence.

The young man, who was recovered blameworthy of manslaughter aft a protracted trial, volition walk 9 months successful jailhouse and 9 months nether supervision successful the community, followed by a twelvemonth of probation.

He's the 5th teen to beryllium sentenced retired of seven, successful total, who were charged successful transportation with the decease of 16-year-old Karanveer Sahota. The Grade 10 pupil died aft helium was stabbed soon aft leaving schoolhouse connected the day of April 8, 2022.

A court-ordered work prohibition connected the victim's sanction has been successful spot implicit the past year. It was lifted Wednesday aft Court of King's Bench Justice Gillian Marriott approved an exertion to region it, astatine Sahota's family's request.

A work prohibition continues to screen the sanction of the schoolhouse wherever the onslaught happened. All of the accused successful the lawsuit were younger than 18 astatine the clip of the onslaught and they can't beryllium identified nether the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Victim interaction statements were work into the tribunal grounds again Wednesday, with Sahota's friends and household describing the symptom of his loss, and others successful the assemblage speaking of the fearfulness they present consciousness that their children won't beryllium harmless astatine school.

Crown authoritative Jeff Rudiak told the tribunal Wednesday there seems to beryllium "no peculiar reason" wherefore the onslaught happened.

"[The victim] was truly a sitting duck. He was wholly defenceless," helium said.

Marriott accepted a associated submission from the Crown and defence connected the teen's sentence. She said portion there's nary grounds that helium stabbed Sahota, oregon had immoderate benignant of weapon, helium was inactive an progressive subordinate successful the radical assault.

"He engaged successful the archetypal battle wherever it was conscionable himself. He past followed Mr. Sahota arsenic helium was trying to get distant and tackled him, efficaciously preventing him from being capable to get distant and enabling the aggravated onslaught that followed," Marriott said.

"This was and is simply a tragedy. Nothing volition marque this better."

The maximum younker condemnation for manslaughter is 3 years. Defence lawyer Rod Gregory said his lawsuit is committed to engaging successful rehabilitation and efforts to marque amends for his actions.

'It ne'er should person led to this'

The young antheral successful this case, now 18, was 15 astatine the clip of the assault. He work a connection successful tribunal Wednesday, apologizing to Sahota's family.

"I knew the victim. We didn't get along, but it ne'er should person led to this," helium said.

"I unrecorded with guilt each time that I didn't halt it, locomotion away ... I present recognize what it genuinely means erstwhile radical accidental 1 infinitesimal tin alteration everything."

It's taken astir 3 years for each the cases to upwind their mode done the tribunal system:

• A pistillate who was 17 astatine the clip of the onslaught admitted that she drove a car distant from the scene. She pleaded blameworthy to accessory aft the information to an battle with a weapon, and was sentenced to 12 months probation.
• A young antheral who was 15 astatine the clip admitted to driving a antithetic car from the scene. He pleaded blameworthy to the aforesaid complaint and received the aforesaid condemnation arsenic the operator of the different vehicle.
• A teen who was 15 astatine the time admitted to being portion of a radical battle connected the victim, but did not stab oregon punch him. The teen pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter and received 4 months successful jail.
• A teen who was 14 astatine the time admitted to stabbing the unfortunate erstwhile and pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 months successful jailhouse followed by 18 months of probation.

Two remaining teenagers, who were besides recovered blameworthy of manslaughter aft a abstracted trial, are expected to beryllium sentenced adjacent month, which volition bring an extremity to each the proceedings.