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Relatives of a YMCA fitness instructor shot dead in Toronto six years ago say his random and violent death has left their family broken.
Shane Stanford, 33, was killed after a bullet shattered the back window of his car, hitting him in the head on Oct. 7, 2020.
On Thursday, the Crown read victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing of Raheem McLaughlin at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In May, a jury found McLaughlin guilty of second-degree murder in Stanford’s drive-by shooting death.
Lakeisha Ferreira, Stanford’s sister, said in her statement that her life changed forever the day her brother died.
“He was loving, dedicated and committed to building a better future for himself and the people around him. His absence has left a space in our family that can never truly be filled,” Ferreira said.
“The mental toll of losing my brother in this way has created a trauma that I will carry for the rest of my life. I lost a sense of joy and happiness in the world, and I feel that another part of me was taken away that I can never get back.”
Ferreira said she continues to attend grief counselling to help her grapple with the shocking loss of her brother.
“There are still moments throughout the day when I find myself crying because I know I will never see my brother again. I have to live with the reality that there will never be another conversation, another memory made, or another opportunity to see what his life could have been. There is also a great deal of anger that comes with this loss.”
Passenger in vehicle never identified
Stanford, who was part of the health and fitness team at the Central YMCA on Grosvenor Street near Yonge Street, had locked up the facility and was headed home in the north end of the city on the night he died.
At trial, video showed McLaughlin’s Infiniti chasing Stanford’s Acura through a residential neighbourhood in North York. Court heard McLaughlin had a passenger in his vehicle who was never identified, a man he claimed was the shooter.
The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. in the area of Regina and Khedive avenues, near Bathurst Street and Ranee Avenue, north of Lawrence Avenue W.
Crown lawyer Geleta McLoughlin told Justice Michael Dineen that McLaughlin was under three weapons prohibition orders at the time and had 35 prior criminal convictions involving large scale violence.
Toronto police are shown here after the fatal shooting of Shane Stanford. (CBC)
Moments after the gunfire, Stanford’s car crashed into the side of a home.
He was found behind the wheel suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and prronounced dead. He was Toronto’s 58th homicide victim of 2020.
‘Shane was a remarkable man,’ aunt says
Celena Knight, Stanford’s aunt, said in her victim impact statement that Stanford’s death was “sudden, tragic, and senseless,” and his family lives with his loss every day.
“Shane was a remarkable man who cared deeply about his family and his community. He wanted to show up in this world as a positive person, to inspire others, and to create change,” Knight said.
“The shooter took away a son, a brother, a nephew, and a friend. Shane could have been anyone. That is what makes this crime so frightening and insensitive: someone chose to murder a person at random, and our family has had to live with that choice ever since.”
Knight said her nephew deserves justice and the sentence should reflect the seriousness of the crime.
“Too many families and communities have been devastated by gun violence, and too many Black lives have been lost. Crimes like this should be treated with the seriousness they deserve. The response should send a clear message that we do not stand for this kind of violence and that those who engage in these harmful behaviours will be held rightfully accountable,” Knight said.
Knight said Stanford’s “warmth, vibrant spirit and desire to make a difference touched everyone who knew him.” Since his death, her children fear for their safety, she said.
“Our entire family has been left broken, and we have felt unheard.”
Crown asks for 22 years before chance at parole
Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 10 years.
The Crown told the judge that McLaughlin should serve 22 years in prison before he can apply for parole.
McLaughlin represented himself at the trial, and a judge-appointed lawyer, Douglas Holt, said a parole ineligibility of 10 to 12 years would be appropriate.
Holt said there is no proof McLaughlin fired the fatal shot or was the one in possession of the gun. He asked that McLaughlin receive enhanced credit for nearly 500 days in lockdown while in custody.
The judge is expected to hand down McLaughlin’s sentence next month.