Two teenagers have admitted to their roles in a Saskatoon shooting that killed a man who sought a life free from violence in Canada.
Mark Enwaya, 31, was near 22nd Street West and Avenue Q South when the shooting happened on March 12, 2019. A Saskatoon police news release stated the victim didn’t know the teenaged killers.
On Tuesday, the male co-accused entered guilty pleas in Saskatoon provincial court. Because they were under 18 at the time of the killing, they cannot be identified due to provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
A now-17-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and firearm possession charges. The other accused, now 19, was initially charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The pleas were entered rather than going ahead with a scheduled preliminary hearing.
Prosecutor Ainsley Furlonger said the Crown is seeking Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) sentences for both teens.
An IRCS sentence is designed for youth with mental health issues who have committed serious crimes. Such a sentence incorporates mandatory treatment, conditional supervision and community-based support.
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Details of their crimes will come out during the sentencing process. The teens are due back in court on Oct. 23.
In an interview with Global News last year, Gina Bak said she taught Enwaya and his family English in 2012. They met after Enwaya, his parents and his sister moved from Iraq to Saskatoon.
After struggling to find permanent work, Enwaya eventually got a job at Star Egg Company, Bak said. Though he had very little money, Bak said the man wanted to give his mother money to donate to their local church.
“The fact that he and his family came to Canada for a safe life and that they didn’t get that in return is one of the most horrible things that could ever happen to anyone,” Bak said at the time.
A crowdfunding page stated the Enwaya family “hoped for a life free from violence in Canada,” but “this was not the case for them.”
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