Montreal sees troubling increase in teens accused of homicide
While many factors contribute to the trend, one stands out: access to firearms, lawyers say
Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Montreal are calling attention to the rising number of young people accused of homicide.
"What we've seen is an increase — those files and numbers are increasing in our office," said Crown prosecutor Louis-David Bénard.
And it's not a small increase, said defence lawyer Tiago Múrias.
"It's very, very, very obvious," he said, recalling a time when it was rare for young people to be either accused of or victims of homicide. "Now it's like tenfold."
The spike began during the pandemic and has grown serious enough that a dedicated team of prosecutors now handles homicide cases in youth court in Montreal.
While many factors contribute to the trend, one stands out: access to firearms.
"For young teenagers, it's easier for them to possess or buy firearms on the streets of Montreal," said Bénard.
Across Quebec, there were six minors charged with murder in 2022, five in 2023 and 17 in 2024, according to figures provided by the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP).
Three minors were charged with involuntary manslaughter with a firearm in 2022, but none in 2023 and 2024. There was an involuntary manslaughter charge in 2022 and another in 2023.
Two minors were charged with attempted murder with a gun in relation to organized crime in 2024. One was charged with attempted murder with a gun in 2024 and another in 2023.
Over the last three years, minors faced nearly 50 charges of discharging a gun recklessly, and there are dozens of other gun-related charges, including more than 100 of pointing a firearm.
Rise in violent youth crimes
In recent years, several high-profile cases have involved teen suspects or victims. Amir Benayad, 17, was shot and killed in an alley in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough at the start of 2022 during a dispute. Two youths pleaded guilty in that case.
In July 2024, police arrested a 16-year-old in connection with a fatal shooting in a Dollard-des-Ormeaux parking lot. The victim in that case was 42.
More recently this summer, a 17-year-old survived multiple gunshot wounds in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
"How did it come to that?" asked Múrias, noting that teenagers used to get in trouble for stealing chips from convenience stores — not carrying guns. "That's something that is very troubling."
And it's not just firearms. In April, 16-year-old Makhai Bennett-Ruddock was fatally stabbed in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. A 17-year-old was charged with manslaughter in that case.
A year earlier, a 35-year-old man was stabbed outside the Lionel-Groulx Metro station. The attack, described by police as random, led to the arrest of five teens aged 13 to 18.
Bénard said teens are particularly vulnerable and easily influenced as they look to build a name for themselves on the streets or social media. He was unable to provide exact numbers, but he said the increase in youth violence is clear.
"We're seeing a proliferation of guns and youth firing guns," he said.
Youth murder cases are complex, lawyers say
Lawyers say murder cases involving minors are legally complex — especially when it comes to sentencing.
When an adult is convicted of first-degree murder, the sentence is automatic. But that's not the case for youth.
"To sentence those young teenagers with a sentence adapted for them — it's not an easy task," said Bénard.
Múrias described the sentencing phase as "a trial after the trial," focusing on maturity and accountability.
"It becomes a trial about just and proportionate consequences in regards to cerebral development. So it's really a challenge," he said.
That challenge may soon grow. A Supreme Court of Canada decision last week will make it harder for minors convicted of murder to be sentenced as adults.
The decision says youth court judges shouldn't consider the seriousness of the offence when deciding whether to impose an adult sentence. Instead, they must focus solely on the accused's development and moral judgment.
It also states that prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a youth had adult-level maturity. The ruling reaffirms that young people are presumed to have diminished moral blameworthiness under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
