Two men found guilty of second-degree murder for their roles in a fatal Edmonton community hall shooting will spend at least 17 and 20 years in prison, respectively.
Abdullahi Yalahow, 35, and Christopher Wilson, 39, were sentenced in an Edmonton courtroom on Friday afternoon. Both men were found guilty in November 2023 of second-degree murder in the August 2021 shooting at the Duggan Community Hall.
While second-degree murder convictions come with automatic life sentences, the men’s parole eligibility was still to be determined.
The Crown had sought 22 years behind bars for both men before being eligible to apply for parole. Yalahow’s defence lawyer asked for 14 years, while Wilson’s lawyer asked for 15 years.
On Friday, it was determined that Yalahow will not be eligible for parole for 17 years for his second-degree murder conviction. For the other two convictions — possessing a loaded restricted firearm and discharging a firearm in a public place — he’ll serve six years and eight years concurrently. He will be subject to mandatory provision of a DNA sample and a lifetime weapons prohibition.
It was determined that Wilson won’t be eligible for parole for 20 years for his second-degree murder conviction. Court determined he has an extensive criminal record and poses a significant danger to the public. For his other conviction — possessing a loaded restricted firearm — Wilson will serve five years.
“The two convicted persons were given life sentences. They never are going to be free from supervision for the rest of their lives,” Yalahow’s defence lawyer Zachary Al-Khatib said. “The question is: when are they allowed to get out of prison? And the judge ruled that that would be 17 years for my client and 20 years for Mr. Wilson.”
Both men are prohibited from having contact with one another until the conclusion of the appeal period.
Justice Paul Belzil said there are differing levels of culpability and that determining the period for parole is a fact-sensitive process.
Wilson has a higher degree of moral culpability, the judge said, since he punched, shot and pistol-whipped the victim.
The use of firearms is an aggravating factor for parole eligibility, Belzil added. It showed “complete disregard for the safety of party goers,” he said.
The judge pointed out that both Yalahow and Wilson had lifetime prohibitions for firearms at the time and were in violation of that ban, which shows complete disregard.
When it comes to mitigating factors, the judge said there is no evidence of remorse from Yalahow and no evidence he sought rehabilitation. However, Wilson expressed remorse but there’s also no evidence he attempted rehab before the shooting either, the judge said.
“The judge recognized that my client had suffered a very disturbed upbringing, had lived in a situation of displacement, of violence, really didn’t have the right supports necessary for him to be a productive member of society early on in his life, and I think that factored into his decision,” Al-Khatib said.
He said the parole decision for Yalahow fell within the expected range.
“He’s obviously known that he’s going to be sentenced to life in prison since the conviction occurred. What’s become obvious now is he’s not going to be eligible to leave jail, to leave the confines of a jail house building, until he’s basically in a very different stage of life than he currently is,” Al-Khatib said.
“I think anybody who’s facing that kind of reality is going to feel very down. You’re basically being told that you’re going to be stuck in a concrete cell for almost the entirety of your adult life.”
The Crown prosecutors said they send condolences to the family and hope this decision sends a strong message about gun violence.
The shooting happened just after 4 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2021, at the community hall in the area of 37th Avenue and 106th Street. Hamza Mohamed, 22, was killed when multiple shots rang out.
Six other people, including Yalahow, were shot and injured in the incident.
A third man was charged with manslaughter in the case and is scheduled for trial in June.
With files from Caley Gibson, Global News
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