No bail for Halifax teen facing 33 charges related to firearms, threats

Lyndsay Armstrong · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 13, 2025 5:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

A younker tribunal justice has denied bail for a Halifax teen facing 33 charges, including firearms offences and uttering threats.

Judge Alan Tufts made the determination Tuesday, aft listening to grounds for astir a day-and-a-half. The 16-year-old boy's sanction and each grounds shared astatine the bail hearing, including the reasons for Tufts's decision, are nether a work ban. These bans are communal for bail hearings and proceedings involving young offenders.

The charges see 12 counts of possessing a limb for a unsafe intent and 4 counts of uttering threats to origin decease oregon bodily harm.

The teen, who was arrested past month, is also facing 2 counts of wilfully promoting hatred against identifiable groups. Court documents antecedently obtained by CBC News amusement these charges stem from allegedly promoting hatred against Black and Jewish radical done the instauration of online groups.

He has besides been charged with 7 counts of careless usage of a firearm and six counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

CBC News has antecedently reported the teen was arrested aft constabulary received a extremity from a termination hotline relation alleging helium shared thoughts astir shooting up Citadel High School successful Halifax and past taking his ain life. 

When the justice shared the determination not to assistance the younker bail, the teen's household successful the courtroom appeared visibly upset, and 1 of his household members held her look successful her hands.

Defence lawyer Emma Lutz, approached aft the determination was shared Tuesday afternoon, declined to comment.

Crown lawyer Terry Nickerson said Tuesday day that it's the Crown's sentiment that "it was simply not harmless to merchandise him nether the Criminal Code."

Nickerson said immoderate of the 33 charges the teen is facing are "alleging immoderate precise superior weapons and threats violations."

"It truly doesn't get immoderate much superior than this, not without an overt enactment of unit having already happened," helium told reporters extracurricular the Provincial Court gathering successful downtown Halifax.

Nickerson said Tufts's determination not to assistance bail is "a precise reasoned and precise elaborate decision," adding that the justice heard a day-and-a-half of evidence.

"There is simply a ample magnitude of disclosure already. There's a ample magnitude inactive to come. And I deliberation that his honour, who's very, precise experienced, made a reasoned determination based connected each the evidence," helium said.

The teen is adjacent scheduled to look successful younker tribunal connected Thursday morning.