Danzig Street shooter sentenced to 14 years

A Toronto man has pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and six counts of aggravated assault in connection with the July 2012 Danzig Street shooting in Toronto, which left two people dead and 23 wounded.

Nahom Tsegazab was facing two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and 22 counts of aggravated assault in the shooting in the city's east end. He was sentenced to 14 years, but with time served that becomes 11 years and five months.

The shooting outside a public housing complex killed Shyanne Charles, 14, and Joshua Yasay, 23 — both of whom police say were innocent bystanders.

Tsegazab and the court released an agreed-upon statement of facts for the night. It reads that sometime after 9 p.m. on July 16, a young woman advised Tsegazab someone was threatening to bring a gun to the party.

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Tsegazab had armed himself with a .40 calibre semi-automatic firearm.

At approximately 10:40 p.m., Tsegazab was shot twice, once in the area of his right bicep and once in his abdomen. He fell to ground in front of 207 Danzig St., where he withdrew his firearm and fired back at the shooter who was now retreating into the large crowd of party-goers.

As the shooter fled through the crowd and away from Tsegazab, an unknown shooter fired fourteen 9-millimetre calibre rounds into crowd. As this unknown male discharged his firearm, Charles ran into the path of the bullets, was struck a number of times and succumbed to her injuries at the doorstep of 203 Danzig.

Additional rounds were fired indiscriminately into crowd, striking numerous individuals as they tried to flee.

Yasay was shot and killed during the gunfire, but it is not known with certainty which person fired the fatal bullet that pierced his lungs and heart. He succumbed to his injuries almost immediately. 

A victim impact statement from Yasay's mother is posted below. 

Two others face charges

Police have said they believe an altercation at a barbecue attended by about 100 people that night set off the deadly violence between members of two rival gangs.

Three people have been charged in the shootings. 

Two counts of first-degree murder were laid against Shaquan Mesquito, 18, also known as Bam Bam. Mesquito also faces 23 counts of aggravated assault for wounding more than 20 people at the crowded outdoor party, including attempted murder of Tsegazab.

A 17-year-old male has also been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the shootings.