Toronto Eaton Centre shooter sentenced to life in prison

TORONTO — A man who opened fire in the crowded food court of a popular mall in downtown Toronto seven years ago, killing two people, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

The ruling was delivered in a courtroom about half a kilometre from the site of the attack, that also left six people injured. Christopher Husbands was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of two young men in the June 2, 2012, shooting.

“He was criminally reckless as to how many totally innocent bystanders could be caught in the line of his fire,” Justice Brian O’Marra said in his decision. “Could this incident have been worse? Yes, it could easily have been three, four, five or more people killed or wounded by his actions.”

Husbands was also found guilty earlier this year of five counts of aggravated assault and one count each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and reckless discharge of a firearm.

For those charges, he was handed seven concurrent sentences, of which he has four years left to serve. He’ll be eligible to apply for parole after serving one-third of that time — sometime in the spring of 2021.

In crafting the sentence, O’Marra took Husbands’ background into consideration, noting that the young man — who was 23 at the time of the attack — had been subjected to racism and poverty growing up first in Guyana and then in a poor neighbourhood of Toronto, where his circumstances led him to get involved with drugs and guns. But in spite of those factors, O’Marra said he believes the prospects for Husbands’ rehabilitation are good, noting the young man had also been involved in “pro-social activity,” including volunteering.

This was Husbands’ second trial in connection with the Eaton Centre shooting, after his conviction on second-degree murder charges was overturned on appeal.

Husbands admitted at trial that he was the shooter but his lawyers argued he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. The Crown acknowledged Husbands suffered from PTSD due to a stabbing months earlier but said he was carrying out a vendetta against his attackers.