First-degree murder charge dropped in stabbing death of Hamilton teen Devan Bracci-Selvey

One of the two teenagers accused in the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Oct. 7 has seen his first degree murder charge withdrawn by the Crown, according to the teen’s lawyer.

Toronto Lawyer Jordana Goldlist, who represents the 18-year-old who was charged, says the Crown dropped the murder charge, feeling there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.

The teen, who appeared at the John Sopinka Courthouse in Hamilton on Friday morning for a bail hearing, is now facing assault charges including assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance and possession of a prohibited weapon, according to police.

He was released on bail with conditions.

Police say emergency crews were called to the Main Street East school just before 1:20 p.m. on Oct. 7, forcing nearby schools and a daycare centre into a brief hold-and-secure.

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Bracci-Selvey, who had been injured in what police called a “serious assault,” was rushed to Hamilton General Hospital where he later died.

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Two people were arrested after the incident. A 14-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were each subsequently charged with first degree murder.

The 14-year-old youth is still charged with first degree murder, say police.

Neither of the accused can be named due to a publication ban with provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Bracci-Selvey’s death has prompted a number of anti-bullying initiatives and dialogue about violence in schools across the city and province.

In early November, Hamilton’s public school board chose a team to lead a bullying review panel to provide independent feedback and recommendations on how to deal with bullying before May 31, 2020.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce used the tragic story of Bracci-Selvey as the catalyst for the province’s new measures to combat bullying in schools, introducing a plan to educate school staff on how to deal with bullying and employ de-escalation techniques.

On Tuesday, a number of unions representing education workers in Hamilton said they would be developing their own task force after accusing local school boards of not doing enough to curb violence.