Halifax high school student sentenced to community supervision for weapons offences

HALIFAX — A 16-year-old Halifax high school student has been sentenced to four months of strict supervision in the community after pleading guilty to several weapons-related offences.

In April, the boy was facing 33 charges, including allegations he had created online hate groups.

In August, the youth pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon, six counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and careless use of a firearm.

At the time, the boy’s lawyer, Tony Amoud, noted his client was the one who called police to report what he had done before he was arrested on April 24.

Amoud said the teen showed “a willingness to address the issues that got him here in the first place” and was asking for help.

The Crown eventually dropped 25 other charges, including four charges alleging he had threatened people.

On Wednesday, a youth court judge imposed a deferred custody and supervision order that requires the boy remain at home at night unless he has a medical emergency, or is accompanied by a parent, youth worker or an adult approved by a parent or guardian.

He must also comply with a long list of conditions that include living with his parents, reporting to a youth worker, attending certain programs and staying at least 50 metres from Citadel High School.

And he’s been ordered not to possess any weapons or access the internet unless he is using a device approved by Correctional Service Canada for certain purposes.

Court documents say the weapons the youth pleaded guilty to possessing included brass knuckles, four rifles and two shotguns.

Amoud said it was understandable there was public alarm after police announced the allegations against they boy.

The lawyer also acknowledged the case had “a certain sensational, attention-grabbing nature,” but he said there’s “always more to the story and more nuance than we see at the initial stage.”

During a news conference after the arrest, Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean urged the public to “react with compassion” because youths who consider violence are often facing “their own struggles and that can be difficult to understand.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2025.

The Canadian Press