assault in connection with a air-gun shooting spree that left a five-year-old
boy with a pellet lodged in his brain, appeared in a Toronto court.
COMTEX) B: Three youths, 12, charged in third Toronto-area air-gun shooti
g in days
B: Three youths, 12, charged in third Toronto-area air-gun shooting in days
AJAX, Ont., Jul 18, 2003 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Three youths have
been charged in connection with an air-gun shooting in this city east of
Toronto, after the third such incident within a week.
The three 12-year-olds, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal
Justice Act, were charged Thursday with assault, assault with a weapon, careless
use of a firearm, pointing a firearm and possession of a dangerous weapon. Three
replica handguns and pellets were seized by police.
The three were released into the custody of their parents and will appear in
court Aug. 19, Durham Regional Police said Friday in a news release.
Two children, aged 11 and 12, received minor injuries in the incident. They were
not hospitalized.
Last weekend, a five-year-old boy was shot in the face with a similar weapon and
on Wednesday an American teenager was charged after an air-gun shooting that
blew out the back window of a car.
In the incident involving the American teen, a car occupied by a man and his
pregnant wife was struck by a projectile fired from an air pistol Wednesday
night while driving in Toronto's west end.
"It was more careless usage than a deliberate attempt to injure someone,"
Toronto police Det. Rick Dokurno said Thursday.
The 15-year-old, who police said was from New York state, was arrested and
charged with carrying a dangerous weapon and mischief.
On Thursday, two men charged with various weapons offences and aggravated
assault in connection with a air-gun shooting spree that left a five-year-old
boy with a pellet lodged in his brain, appeared in a Toronto court.
A bail hearing for Jake Mercure and Stephen Collins, both 18, was put over until
Monday. A 17-year-old youth was also arrested after the shooting that injured
the boy.
The five-year-old boy, who hospital officials said continues to improve and is
talking, eating and playing video games, cannot be named under a publication
ban. Doctors have decided not to remove the pellet as the boy has retained
vision in the eye.
On Monday, the court will also hear an application by lawyers from the Toronto
Sun and CTV to have the publication ban overturned.
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