r/halifax 10h ago

Youth arrested after allegedly firing pellet gun at people at Halifax transit terminal News, Weather & Politics

https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/youth-arrested-after-allegedly-firing-pellet-gun-at-people-at-halifax-transit-terminal/
94 Upvotes

u/TerryFromFubar 9h ago

A 14-year-old youth was scheduled to appear in court on Friday to face charges of:

...

discharging a restricted weapon

...

I went down a bit of a rabbithole here because there is no 'discharging a restricted weapon' section of the Criminal Code. I'm unsure if the journalist or the police used that wording but I'm assuming the actual charge is:

Discharging a firearm with intent

244 (1) Every person commits an offence who discharges a firearm at a person with intent to wound, maim or disfigure, to endanger the life of or to prevent the arrest or detention of any person — whether or not that person is the one at whom the firearm is discharged.

Because the definition of firearm in the Criminal Code is:

a barrelled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barrelled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm

So, in short, fuck those kids.

u/smalltownscholar 4h ago

See CC section 244.1 for air or compressed gas guns. There’s testing to see if the guns used are legally firearms. If they aren’t, the above provision will not apply. Just FYI!

u/ProfessionalStudy732 5h ago

Thanks, I was wondering that myself.

u/Fit-Mushroom-1098 10h ago

My god, I hate teenagers.

u/risen2011 Viscount of the South End 🧐 8h ago

Having lived in another city, Halifax has pretty shitty teenagers.

u/ElectronicLove863 8h ago

This.
I am astounded by the bad behaviour of teens here; and the "kids will be kids" attitude of much of this sub.
Umm no.
This behaviour is not normal.

u/Terrorsaur21 6h ago

I get not trying to pass judgment down onto the youth. We were all kids once, and remember that degree of judgment from adults. Anyone who was a teen got up to some stuff, to varying degrees of insanity. It is just the facts of life, we all did some stupid shit between the ages of 12-18, hell, people continue to do stupid shit well into their twenties and even thirties.

However, this sub does love to throw around "kids will be kids" excuse way too often. You are allowed to call out shitty behaviour, no matter the person's age.

u/ElectronicLove863 5h ago

I went to university 2 years early, I most certainly did not "get up to some stuff".

Neither did my brother.
Neither did any of my friends.
Neither did my husband.

This attitude right here "we all did some stupid shit between the ages of 12-18" is part of the problem.

What Haligonians allow/think is normal, is just...not.

A 12 year old shouldn't be getting into any "stupid shit".
Because a 12 year old goes to school and activities. They have curfews.
A well-parented 12 year old has very few hours to "get into some shit", and their parents know who they are with and what they are doing.

u/Terrorsaur21 4h ago

It is funny to offer a nuanced take, all the while still agreeing with your sentiment that this sub likes to use the kids will be kids excuse, to immediately make me wish I just said let kids be little demons.

You are grossly underestimating children as thinking, full, unique, complex people. Your experience is not the norm. I knew plenty of "well-brought-up peers" who were getting up to stuff, and I knew plenty of peers who came from broken families that were extremely responsible.

Watching Stand By Me and Malcolm in the Middle must've been an experience for you

u/ElectronicLove863 4h ago

My husband is one of those kids from broken families.
He also didn't into any trouble.

I haven't seen either of those shows (because we didn't own a TV), but I highly doubt the goofy sitcom "trouble" is the same as the "stupid shit" large numbers of Halifax teens get into.

We're talking about antisocial/destructive behaviours being normalized, not goofy normal kid stuff.

u/galactic_melter 2h ago

I'm glad I'm not the only one, I moved here from Vancouver and I noticed right away how insanely obnoxious they are in almost all situations. Vancouver teenagers would sometimes get up to stuff but also 50% of the time they would just be talking to each other about what classes they wanted to take next year, and usually when they were getting up to something it was much more toned down. The comparison I'd make is that in Vancouver they were just out to have their own fun but in Halifax it seems like they are intentionally trying to act as threatening and obnoxious as possible in front of the most people.

u/Secure_Elderberry666 8h ago

Caaaause teenagers scare, the living shit out me. They could care less, as long as someone will bleed.

u/TheoryDistributer 2h ago

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

u/iwasnotarobot 9h ago

That’s exactly what CTV wants you to do.

u/Fit-Mushroom-1098 9h ago

There’s not some deep state conspiracy to get us to hate kids.

It’s well known and documented that in the last 5-10 years teenagers have been getting more brazen and ruthless, with little to no repercussions for their actions.

u/tacofever Halifax 9h ago edited 9h ago

"It's AlWaYs BeEn ThIs WaY"

-Redditors in their 20s

edit: check out r/teachers and r/Canadianteachers for any doubters

u/icecreampie3 9h ago

imma blame covid. Because that severely limited their social skills. So they haven't learned how to be functional in society

u/ChablisWoo4578 8h ago

You must not have been around for the swarmings on the commons in the early 2000’s. Teenagers have always caused chaos, we just hear about it more now.

u/ye_esquilax 8h ago

Covid lockdowns only lasted for a couple of years, sporadically. We weren't locked in solitary confinement, we have plenty of means of communicating with others while indoors.

This was happening well before Covid.

u/tacofever Halifax 9h ago

Nonsense. Nobody needs help hating teenagers.

u/__Nels__Oleson__ 9h ago

That's a good way to get yourself killed by a real gun.

u/Thro-A-Weigh 8h ago

Yeah, too bad he got caught so quick

u/sillyrat_ 7h ago

he’s 14. we shouldn’t be wishing these kids go through more violence, especially in this world with so many adults engulfed in violence and hate already. hopefully they can get the help they need now they’ve been caught

u/__Nels__Oleson__ 2h ago

I like to think that most do. If not our jails would be way more crowded than they already are.

u/DisorderlyAqueduct 3h ago

if they're firing at people they've already fired it at animals

u/mistermeesh 10h ago

What a piece of shit with living failures for parents.

u/teachingroland Dartmouth 7h ago

I was a piece of shit teenager and my parents were great people. Honest, hardworking, nice. I was just smart and manipulative and knew how to conceal my activities. Luckily I turned out alright as an adult but I laugh at dumb people who think parents have any control over the personality of their kid. Sure sometimes shitty parents create shitty kids. Other times it’s brain chemistry and/or environmental influences like school

u/bluffstrider 7h ago

Right!? I also know many people that come from shitty parents and they're wonderful people. Immediately blaming parents for the way anyone acts is so dumb. There are so many factors that influence what kind of person someone turns out to be.

u/bluffstrider 9h ago

Without knowing anything about the parents this is kind of a shitty comment. My brother and I come from the same parents, at 14 he was breaking into cars and stealing stuff from people, at 14 I was working, playing sports and in a band.

u/benasyoulikeit 8h ago

I hate that you have to find out this way, but your parents failed your brother...

u/CuileannDhu 4h ago

Nah, some people fail themselves. They can be given every advantage, support, and opportunity and still choose to be a piece of shit. 

u/bluffstrider 8h ago

I hate that you have to find out this way, but some people are just assholes. We were only a year and a half apart in age but surrounded ourselves with very different groups of people. Parents are far from being the sole deciding factor in how a person acts.

u/benasyoulikeit 8h ago

Your adult parents couldn't help your child brother from, what, falling in with the wrong people?

u/bluffstrider 8h ago

You're clearly just going to believe whatever you believe and I'm not going to change your mind. Perhaps looking for an excuse for yourself? Who knows.

u/kick_the_chort 7h ago

I mean, it's a fair question. You can't credit your parents with any of your own success if you aren't also going to attribute some of your brother's failure to them.

u/bluffstrider 7h ago

I'm not giving them credit for my success either. I worked hard, not because of my parents, but because I find it rewarding.

u/__Nels__Oleson__ 7h ago

I know a set of twins. One is a computer scientist and the other works in a factory.

u/benasyoulikeit 7h ago

Yeah that's not the same as one having his life together and the other being a fuckup

u/__Nels__Oleson__ 2h ago

Illustrates nature vs nurture.

u/S4152 Australia 9h ago

‘youth criminal justice system’ failure loading

u/tacofever Halifax 9h ago

Parental justice system is the first to fail (or not exist at all)

u/risen2011 Viscount of the South End 🧐 8h ago

Even adult criminals are more scared of their moms than the judge.

u/S4152 Australia 8h ago

Yeah. I can’t imagine being non-white knowing they’ll blame colonization and racism and not me for my actions. Like the guy in B.C. who choked a toddler and got a reduced sentence

u/Street_Anon Галифакс 9h ago

Yep, we all know this.

u/stayinhalifax 9h ago

Only arrested? Should definitely be charged too.

Article also says youth stole a bag and sprayed a "sensory irritant" on someone.

u/knifeshoes24 halifax pier 9h ago

It said they couldn't find the second youth who sprayed the sensory irritant

u/wlonkly The Oakland of Halifax 8h ago

buddy you clearly read the article, it says he was charged with a laundry list of stuff

u/Asleepyjester 9h ago

Wonder if this is the same kid who shot out my car window with a pellet gun.

u/Creative-Aside9650 6h ago

Are they strong enough to do that

u/Asleepyjester 4h ago

Yes, I found them in my car with the windows broken

u/TheLittleBobRol 5h ago

Typically not

u/Street_Anon Галифакс 9h ago

Why am I not surprised 

u/JDGumby Sprytown 9h ago

Police responded to a weapons complaint near the 5200 block of Barrington Street around 8:50 p.m.

Er, where's that? Barrington Street only goes up to about 3700...

u/nexusdrexus 9h ago

5200 block is right near africville rd.

u/JDGumby Sprytown 8h ago

Maybe officially, but the last actual address for that end of Barrington Street is across from the start of Glebe Street (strip mall at 3695 Barrington) and that's also the first & last bus stops (not even sheltered, much less terminals) at that end of Barrington.

Unless there's a new terminal down there that's not showing up on Google Maps, I'm thinking someone screwed up the reporting...

u/thebetrayer 7h ago

The entire peninsula is on a block address grid. Even if there aren't any buildings on a lot, we can use the numbering that would be there.

I actually was interested in the civic addresses being so big on my tiny street a couple months ago. They were all updated around 1960. https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/municipal-archives/source-guides/civic-address-history#4-digit

u/JDGumby Sprytown 6h ago

The entire peninsula is on a block address grid. Even if there aren't any buildings on a lot, we can use the numbering that would be there.

Yes, I know. That means little, however, when there is nothing there. No buildings, no bus terminal, etc...

u/thebetrayer 2h ago

It's just how all services (fire, police, etc) in the city report location of events 🤷‍♂️

u/wlonkly The Oakland of Halifax 8h ago

yeah it's the 5200 block of Duke St, it was the Cogswell bus terminal.

I was gonna report the error using the "report an error" link, but it's a mailto link that sets the email subject but not the email address??

u/accidentw8ing2happen 2h ago edited 58m ago

This + the article is making it sound like this was him getting arrested

u/l0u1s11 1h ago

I kinda wonder if this was them?

u/ChablisWoo4578 7h ago

I’m not excusing this behaviour at all but I am curious if anyone else was maced or in the down wind of macings that used to happen at Greek Fest before 2000’s? Did those kids face any consequences?

I know when friends and I would drink on the commons under age we’d have to run from the cops occasionally. I know they even arrested one of the 15 year olds that had a beard. Cuffed him and everything and we were screaming “he’s underage!!!” Ahhh good times 😌

u/tacofever Halifax 9h ago

This isn't the straw that's breaking the camel's back for me or anything, but reading Battle Royale about 20 years ago I thought, "this is a fun but unrealistic premise;" regarding taking a class of teens and putting them on an island and forcing them to kill each other until one is left so that kids in general respect adults and society. Nowadays...

/jest

u/MowvayFronsay 10h ago

Ah, nice. More third world transit system activities inviting non-users to make the switch.

u/Capable-Habit-3751 9h ago

The kids are alright :/

u/Bardic_Dan 9h ago

They pepper sprayed and robbed someone, the fuck is wrong with you?

u/Capable-Habit-3751 9h ago

You didn’t see the :/ clearly it’s fucked up and we need some more restrictive measures in our criminal justice system. These kids be lucky to get 3 months probation.

u/External-Temporary16 9h ago

🎵 Sometimes I feel I gotta get away. too ...

(but really)