Observers of the case of two men accused of shooting a 15-year-old Toronto high school student in 2007, which resulted in a mistrial, say frightened witnesses are the cause for such an outcome.
In May 2007, Jordan Manners, a ninth-grade student, was shot in the chest at C.W. Jeffreys Collegiate Institute high school by two men who are allegedly gang members, reports associatedcontent.com. The school was locked down for almost four hours after the incident.
During the trial, two key witnesses offered different testimonies on the stand compared to the stories they had told police, according to the Toronto Sun. Additionally, a group that appeared to be gang members arrived at their courthouse decked in their colors as the 11-member jury deliberated, causing the Emergency Task Force officers to monitor the area in case problems ensued.
Advocates said they were not surprised the two witnesses changed their testimony, as this has been the case for several murder cases in the Toronto area because witnesses are terrified to testify.
As it stands, a report commissioned by the Toronto District School Board, known as the Falconer Report, said the district’s schools had a “gang mentality,” with bullying topping the list of problems within the schools.
The report led to school resource officers being placed within certain schools in the district.
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