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Daniel Amalathas’ time on Earth ended at 19 in a hail of bullets at the Scarborough Town Centre.
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Cops say his two alleged killers are charged with second-degree murder. They are 17-year-old boys. They cannot be named under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
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Even if they are convicted, their time in kiddie prison will be minimal.
Now, Statistics Canada is reporting that more youth under 18 in Canada were charged with homicide in 2024 than in 2023. Overall, national homicides were down slightly after a decade-long upward joy ride during former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure.
In 2024, the annual homicide report shows 72 youths were charged with homicide. There were 65 in 2023. That pushes the youth accused of murder to 0.94 per 100,000 youths.
Multiple youth accused
And among those murders, there were 13 incidents involving multiple youth accused, including five homicides with three or more youth charged.
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Across the board, cops reported 788 homicides in 2024, eight fewer than the previous year. The homicide rate fell 1.91 per 100,000 people, a 4% drop from 2023.
However, Indigenous people remain at a higher risk of becoming homicide victims, accounting for 30% of all murder victims. That’s despite comprising just 5% of Canada’s population.
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According to StatsCan, the homicide rate for Indigenous citizens was more than eight times the national average. In addition, in 2024, 17% of murder victims were killed by a spouse or domestic partner and StatsCan said there were around 100 victims — a nearly 50% increase. Around 81% of the victims were women.
Murder rate doubled
Nationally, four provinces recorded lower homicide rates in 2024, led by Newfoundland and Labrador, down 51%; B.C. had a 27% drop, while Alberta and Quebec fell 20% and 11%, respectively. But in New Brunswick, the homicide rate doubled from nine victims to 18. Half died by shooting.
The murder rate also almost doubled in Nova Scotia and PEI.
But the news wasn’t so good on the Prairies. In Manitoba, the homicide rate climbed by 22% while Saskatchewan’s rate rose by 7%. Ontario’s rate held steady at 1.75 per 100,000.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
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