'Those little gangster kids': Father of teen facing weapons and drugs charges speaks out
Arrest is the second weapons charge for 13-year-old this year
A 13-year-old boy arrested Oct. 12 in a Saskatoon motel room with a semi-automatic rifle, cash and drugs was already on probation at the time for possessing a rifle.
The teen was sentenced June 25 in provincial court to one month of deferred custody and 10 months probation "for possessing an unloaded .22 calibre rifle," according to court documents.
He'd been arrested April 27 in a vehicle. There was a bag on the floor with the rifle inside. It had a loaded 10-shot clip inside the gun, but no bullet in the chamber. He admitted to possessing the rifle.
They're the most violent gang in Saskatoon.- Father of 13-year-old boy
He appeared in youth court Friday on his latest charges and will return Oct. 24 for a bail hearing. In a news release, police misidentified his age as 12.
The teen's father, uncle and grandmother were in court on Friday. His 46-year-old father spoke to CBC about his fears and frustrations. He cannot be named because his son's identity is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
"He just wants to run around with those little gangster kids," he said.
"I try to keep him at home and he sneaks out a window."
Police released photos connected with the teen's arrest. One of the pictures features a green bandana, which is the signifier of the Hustle Crew, a violent Saskatoon youth gang.
When arrested in April, the teen had dyed his hair green.
The teen was arrested Saturday after police received calls that someone had fired shots at a vehicle and had made threats on social media. Police conducted a traffic stop on the 700 block of Appleby Drive and arrested a 21-year-old man.
Investigators then turned their attention to the motel on the 2500 block of 22nd Street West. Police said they obtained a search warrant and made their way into a room. Inside they found the second suspect, the 13-year-old boy.
Police said the room contained the loaded .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle and nine boxes of ammunition.
Police also found 359 packages of shatter, cannabis oil extract known for its brittle glass-like quality and its high level of THC. Police also seized some cocaine and more than $4,200 in cash.
Teen's trouble starts after mom's death
The father says he has met with officers in the Guns and Gangs Unit to try and make sense of his son's world and the gang scene.
"They're the most violent gang in Saskatoon," the father said.
"The oldest guy is 19 and he recruits kids. They have young kids doing their shooting."
The teen lives in Pleasant Hill. His mother passed away from cancer three years ago and, since then, his father says that he's struggled at school and at home.
He missed all of grade seven because he was running with the gang and is uncommunicative with family, the father said.
"I can't talk to him, or anything," he said.
"He doesn't want to have any responsibility for anything."
The father says he has no idea where his son is getting the guns that he's been arrested with.
The teen and his co-accused are facing more than 35 charges.
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