Manitoba man pleads guilty in fatal shooting of stepson, says accident 'happened in a split second'

A Manitoba man has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence after he said he accidentally shot and killed his stepson in a small southeastern Manitoba community last year.

Cory Davis, 44, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death with a firearm and breaching weapon prohibition orders in Manitoba provincial court on Oct. 31, according to court recordings reviewed by CBC News.

Dylan Jones, 27, was fatally shot and pronounced dead at a home in Blumenort, Man., on Aug. 1, 2023, Manitoba RCMP previously said.

Jones was shot while visiting his mother's home for a barbeque with her and Davis, his stepfather, an agreed statement of facts said.

Both Davis and Jones had been consuming alcohol throughout the day, the statement says. Davis was intoxicated and had also consumed marijuana.

Around 7:30 p.m., Jones's mother went outside to have a cigarette, leaving the two men alone inside. Jones showed his stepfather a replica revolver, and then Davis took a firearm out of his bedroom closet.

As Davis pulled out the gun, Jones reached for it while Davis was still holding it, court was told.

"Davis said, 'Don't do that,' pulled back the gun, and the gun accidentally went off one time," the agreed statement of facts said.

Davis believes Jones touched the gun, but he's unsure how the trigger was pulled, saying "his finger was not on the trigger, and that everything happened in a split second," the statement said.

Davis also pleaded guilty to violating a contact order after his arrest. The order prohibited him from contacting his wife.

He will be sentenced by provincial court Judge Samuel Raposo at a later date.

Crown prosecutor Kristee Logan and Saheel Zaman, Davis's defence lawyer, have jointly recommended that Davis serve a six-year sentence.

He was initially charged with multiple firearms offences, which were stayed.

A Gladue report will also be completed for Davis, who is Métis.