Firing a single shot into a crowded Calgary bar during a Christmas morning brawl turned deadly, a manslaughter hearing was told Tuesday. Read More
’When the accused fired into the bar there were approximately 30 people inside, with the majority of those people located in the middle of the bar, not far from the front door’
‘When the accused fired into the bar there were approximately 30 people inside, with the majority of those people located in the middle of the bar, not far from the front door’
Article content
Firing a single shot into a crowded Calgary bar during a Christmas morning brawl turned deadly, a manslaughter hearing was told Tuesday.
Article content
Article content
Yosief Daniel Hagos pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 25, 2022, death of Samuel Welday Haile. He had been charged with second-degree murder.
Article content
Justice David Labrenz accepted a joint submission from Crown prosecutor Melissa Bond and defence counsel Shamsher Kothari for a sentence of eight years. With credit for so-called dead time, Hagos, 25, will have another five years and three months to serve.
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
Reading from a statement of agreed facts, Bond detailed how a private, after-hours party turned into an all-out brawl which culminated in Hagos firing into a crowd and striking Haile, 24, an individual he didn’t know.
Article content
Noon News Roundup
Article content
Bond said Hagos was dropped off at Bella’s Bar around 3:43 a.m. and let in by some friends who were attending an informal “private” party.
Article content
Before the deadly shooting, Hagos had pointed his handgun at the forehead of another male inside a washroom, but when confronted by bar owner Semhar Haileslase, denied being armed, said Bond, reading from the document signed by Kothari and his client.
Article content
Around 4:24 a.m. a verbal argument started inside the bar near the front entrance.
Article content
“The accused and his group of friends were not part of this initial verbal argument,” Bond told Labrenz.
Article content
“The accused and his friends walked towards the argument.”
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
While the verbal altercation ensued, Haile stood up from where he had been seated in the middle of the bar and walked towards the combatants.
Article content
Read More
-
Accused in fatal Forest Lawn shooting was out on bail for Saskatchewan robbery charge
-
Spring 2025 dates set for trial of man accused of murder in fatal Forest Lawn shooting
-
Advertisement embed-more-topic
Story continues below
Article content
“The verbal argument had turned into a physical argument, with a number of people pushing and shoving one another. A plastic bottle was thrown by a male and the victim threw a punch, hitting one of the accused’s friends, Biniam Gebru, in the back of the head,” Bond said.
Article content
“A large chaotic physical fight ensued, with punching, kicking and chairs being thrown. The accused was not part of this fight, though Gebru was.”
Article content
Haileslase then exited Bella’s through the front door, holding it open in an effort to get people to leave, the prosecutor said.
Article content
Article content
At 4:25 a.m. Hagos exited the bar while the fight continued. Less than half a minute later, while standing just outside the door he fired a shot into the bar, Bond said.
Article content
“When the accused fired into the bar there were approximately 30 people inside, with the majority of those people located in the middle of the bar, not far from the front door.”
Article content
The single shot struck Haile in the torso, causing him mortal injuries, Bond said.
Article content
Before police arrived, the victim’s friends drove him to the Peter Lougheed Centre and he was subsequently transported to the Foothills Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead about 2½ hours later.
Article content
Before accepting the joint submission, Labrenz noted both victim and offender came to Canada as refugees “in hope of a better life.”
Article content
Kothari said his client may be deported as a result of his conviction.
Article content
Article content
Article content