The jury of seven women and seven men found Malique Calloo guilty of manslaughter Wednesday in the death of Daniel Squalls. They found him not guilty of the more serious charge of second-degree murder. “It’s the kind of case where it’s just a tragedy all around, more than a feeling of winning, frankly,” defence lawyer Adam Weisberg told CTV News after the verdict. “Mr. Calloo is respectful and happy with the jury’s verdict, but at the same time, still carries a lot of remorse and regret over the loss and the killing of Daniel Squalls.” Squalls, 24, was shot out front of his Hanna Street apartment on Nov. 28, 2022. Calloo admitted to the shooting but testified he felt provoked to act. He hung his head in court Wednesday and cried when he learned the verdict was manslaughter and not second-degree murder. “I saw Mr. Calloo break down in tears. If you listen to his testimony on the stand, obviously, he testified that he was provoked. The jury, in my opinion, likely accepted that getting to the manslaughter verdict,” Weisberg said. The jury was given what’s called a “decision tree” to help them come to a verdict. Before considering provocation, they had to believe Calloo caused Squalls death, that is was unlawful, and that he had the state of mind to commit murder. Believing Calloo was provoked was the pathway to manslaughter over murder. “In Canada, there’s obviously jury secrecy in the sense that we can’t ask them. So, I have, no idea what the jury discussed or thought about,” Weisberg said, noting he believed Calloo’s testimony at trial swung the jurors to the lesser offence. Members of the Squalls family were not pleased with the verdict. Although they did not immediately say anything out loud, on their way out of the courtroom, one family member said: “Your [expletive] ain’t making it outta there,” directed at Calloo. “If you do something 15 times it’s not an accident,” another said on their way out of the courtroom. The judge asked them to refrain from speaking, but the family members left the courtroom. Justice Maria Carroccia thanked the jurors for their time before dismissing them. “Mr. Squalls is no longer with us because of the killing, and he has a family that’s obviously grieving,” Weisberg concluded. “Overall, this is just a really tragic case.” As a result of the Squalls family reaction, CTV News opted to give the family privacy to deal with Wednesday’s verdict and did not approach them for comment outside of court. Both crown attorneys on the case declined to comment until after the sentencing, which will be held in the coming months.
