A young Winnipeg gang member has been given the maximum youth sentence for a "senseless and brutal killing" that claimed the life of a city teen.
The 19-year-old -- who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act -- will spend four years in custody followed by three years of community supervision, Queen's Bench Justice Deborah McCawley said Monday.
He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder for the March 2006 shooting death of 18-year-old Leon Dumas.
A late-night walk through the inner city proved to be fatal for Dumas, who may have offended members of a street gang by stepping on their "turf" and claiming to be a rival, court was told.
The tragic case underlines the city's ongoing problem with gang violence and how cheap life has become to some.
Justice officials struck a deal with the killer that spared him potentially being raised to adult court -- and a mandatory life sentence -- in exchange for a guilty plea.
The killer apologized to the victim's family in court during initial submissions in January.
"Being part of a man is owning up to responsibility. Today I'm owning up for what I've done. I ask you to forgive me and accept my apologies," he said.
Dumas' life was also marked by tragedy. His mother committed suicide at the age of one and his cousin, Matthew, was shot dead by Winnipeg police in 2005 in a case that is about to be the subject of an inquiry.
Dumas and some friends were walking through the North End around 3 a.m. when they ran into a group of young men who identified themselves as members of the Indian Posse street gang.
Crown attorney Joanna Kostiuk said Dumas may have claimed to be from the rival Crips gang, leading to a heated argument that ended quickly when the killer pulled a sawed off shotgun from his waistband and fired at close range.
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