Shooting incident inside Prince Albert home, results in five-year sentence for gun owner

An argument began after the victim was questioned about impregnating a 17-year-old girl.

Soon after, Lafond instructed another person in the house to retrieve a gun from a vehicle parked outside.

Sensing he might be in trouble, the victim then armed himself with a pair of scissors and a screwdriver.

A physical altercation occurred between Lafond and the victim and during that time Lafond pointed a gun at the victim’s head, but it was soon after was knocked upwards and a shot was fired towards the roof.

During the ensuing struggle, Lafond dropped the gun and was stabbed multiple times in the chest and arms with the scissors.

That’s when another co-accused picked up the gun, pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger.

When the victim testified at trial, he explained how he turned his head just in time, and the bullet grazed his skin. He escaped from the house without his shoes and ran to a neighbour’s house to call for help.

Lafond was arrested the following week after a lengthy standoff with police. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

When asked by the Crown to describe the gun, the victim told the court it was about the size of his forearm. He was also asked how he specifically knew it was a Mossberg rifle with no stock.

“I play Call of Duty a lot,” he replied.

Tuesday’s sentence will run concurrently to the 2.5 year sentence Lafond received last week at Court of King’s Bench.

One week after the shooting occurred, Lafond was arrested at the same residence after a lengthy standoff with police. The gun used during the shooting was found tucked away in a ceiling tile of a downstairs bedroom, and the ammunition was found in the console of the truck Lafond was observed driving.

His lawyer Loree Richardson noted that prior to 2018, Lafond was a contributing member of society and worked full time at a mine. After losing his job, he began selling drugs to make ends meet and got involved with some bad people.

Richarson also noted the four deaths of people very close to him, over a short period of time, also took a heavy toll.

Then in September, 2019, Lafond was himself the victim of a serious when his leg was shot and run over. In addition to losing his leg, Lafond has more recently been diagnosed with Greig’s disease and in a matter of months has lost close to 40 pounds.

Noting Lafond’s past employment and completion of his Grade 12, Judge Harradence encouraged Lafond to use his time at the penitentiary wisely and to attend counselling and complete a trade.

“You’re capable of doing that,” Harradence said.

With credit for time spend in pre-sentence custody, Lafond has roughly 3.5 years left to serve.

Still outstanding however are some charges from Saskatoon that relate to an incident in which a 15-year-old girl, while walking down the street with her family, was shot.

The shots came from a white car that had multiple people inside. The victim was treated at hospital for non-life threatening injuries.That case returns to court Jan. 31.

The co-accused in the Prince Albert shooting case, Gage Pratt and April Abbott, are set to return to court on Jan. 27.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Shooting incident inside Prince Albert home, results in five-year sentence for gun owner

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