Three teenagers charged in connection with the homicide of a 22-year-old man at a Walmart last week will get to return home under strict bail conditions. The 22-year-old Edmonton man was stabbed to death inside the store in Montreal North. Three 15-year-olds were charged with various counts ranging from second-degree murder to weapons charges. In youth court on Wednesday, two of the accused were released under the care of their parents under a form of house arrest where a parent agrees to call police if their child breaches the conditions of their release. The boys cannot own any weapons, cannot communicate with each other, and are only allowed outside the home to attend school. The parents were told by the judge through a Spanish-language interpreter that they were now responsible for their teenagers’ actions if they didn’t follow the court order. The third accused was released on bail, meaning his parents don’t have to answer for him while awaiting trial. But he has to follow the same conditions as his co-accused and has to respect a curfew — a standard procedure, Crown prosecutor Jeremy Chaput said. The prosecution says it chose not to charge a fourth teenager who was arrested but that doesn’t mean he may not face charges in the future. “At this point in time, we don’t have the full, complete evidence. So it is still possible that more charges will come eventually. But as for now, we couldn’t put charges against him,” explained prosecutor Patricia Denis. The accused are now set to return to court at the end of August. If found guilty, they could face a maximum of seven years detention under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.
