Eastern P.E.I. teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in shooting death of Tyson MacDonald
CBC
A P.E.I. teenager pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Friday in the death of 17-year-old Tyson MacDonald, who was found dead in Kings County after a six-day search in December 2023.
Appearing at the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, the youth also pleaded guilty to interfering with human remains. The accused cannot be named because of provisions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
In Canadian law, manslaughter is causing a death through an unlawful act without having intended to kill.
"In this case, that unlawful act relates to the careless use of a firearm," said Justice Jonathan Coady.
A second youth charged in connection with the case pleaded guilty to public mischief in April.
The court appearance drew a big crowd, as other appearances in the case have done. Demonstrators were on the lawn in front of the court. Inside, there was extra seating in the rear of the courtroom where the proceedings took place, as well as overflow seating with a video feed in another courtroom.
Many of the demonstrators held signs calling for the teen to be sentenced as an adult, saying things like "Big Boy Crime = Big Boy Time," but it was confirmed in court Friday that he will be sentenced as a youth. He was 17 at the time of the crime, but has since turned 18.
MacDonald, who lived in Kings County, was reported missing on Dec. 14 of last year. He had told his parents he was going to a hockey game in Charlottetown with friends.
It took six days to find his remains, and two male youths were arrested that same day.
In court on Friday, Crown prosecutor John Diamond read out an agreed statement of facts — that is, a document that describes what happened, agreed to by both the defence and the prosecution.
The court heard that the teen and MacDonald had intended to go to a hockey game that night, but they went to the teenager's house first and there was a shotgun near the door.
"[The teen] took possession of the firearm, reckless as to whether the safety was on or off, pointed it at Tyson MacDonald and pulled the trigger, striking him in the left side of his face," Diamond read.
The teen said he panicked, and drove MacDonald's body to Greek River Road and left him there. He then picked up the second youth, who would later be charged with public mischief, and they drove to Charlottetown.
That second youth had no knowledge that MacDonald had been killed, according to the teen who pleaded guilty on Friday, and had no role in the death.
There was a time when Manitobans used to consider Saskatchewan a rural, underdeveloped backwater.
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) found some reasons to celebrate the 2026-27 provincial budget, but it takes issue with the amount designated for the province's Water Security Agency (WSA).
The family of an Edmonton woman who died in Honolulu last year is pushing for Hawaiian authorities to re-open the case.
It was around this time in 2020 that everything changed.
With its emergency shelter beds frequently running at 50 per cent over capacity and demand so great that it's forced to refer some women escaping domestic violence elsewhere, Gillian's Place in St. Catharines will soon be able to offer a broader range of services to more victims of gender-based violence.
The ceiling of the CAW Student Centre at the University of Windsor is decorated by flags of numerous nations — among them, Iran.
Turmoil in Iran, a major disruption in world oil markets, and stratospheric gasoline prices in Canada and beyond. What's racking motorists and governments in 2026 also faced them in 1979, sparked by the Iranian Revolution.
Five decades later, and Thunder Bay's Music World Academy remains a family-run business.
Dalton Dubois of Guelph, Ont., made history at the recent Paris Fashion Week when she became the first transgender model to walk the runway for Chanel Exclusive.
Work is scheduled to begin over the summer at the site of the former Clinton Creek asbestos mine, about 65 kilometres northwest of Dawson City, Yukon.
They may be bitter rivals in the House of Commons, but outside the chamber, recent events may have led to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Mark Carney forging a bond.
Local fans and industry insiders say the province’s move to ban the reselling of event tickets for more than their original value is a step in the right direction, but some say there are still larger issues that need to be addressed.
This First Person column is the experience of Mehdi M. Kashani, who lives in Toronto. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.