THUNDER BAY -- A man recorded on video firing multiple shots at three other individuals in a busy south side residential area has been sentenced to five years in custody.
Iverson Thomas, 21, of Toronto appeared before Justice Jennifer Hoshizaki in a Thunder Bay courtroom on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and one count of possession of crack cocaine for the purposes of trafficking.
According to the agreed statement of facts, on May 2, 2023 at approximately 12:45 p.m. officers with the Thunder Bay Police Service were dispatched to Spence Court in the 200 block of Amelia Street West for reports of a shootout.
A lone male matching the description of one of the individuals involved was observed walking in the area and a short foot pursuit ensued.
The male, later identified as Thomas, was apprehended and a search of his bag uncovered a 9 mm Glock-style handgun that was warm to the touch indicating it had recently been fired. Police also found 10.8 grams of what appeared to be crack cocaine.
Further investigation of the scene at the apartment complex revealed numerous bullet casings around two vehicles in the parking lot.
The court heard that an Uber Eats driver, who would also drive people around the city in his down time, dropped off three individuals at the Amelia Street apartment and waited for them to return.
The three individuals exited the building and were chased by a man with no shirt and red shoes, firing multiple shots from a handgun in the direction of the vehicle.
The driver put the car into gear and he could hear someone outside the vehicle also firing a gun. The three individuals got into the vehicle and when attempting to flee, the driver struck an electrical post.
The entire incident was captured by a video surveillance camera in the area and investigators were able to determine that the man with no shirt and red shoes was Thomas.
A joint submission agreed upon by the Crown and defence counsel called for a custodial sentence of five years, which is the minimum sentence for a charge of attempted murder with a weapon.
When given the opportunity to speak, Thomas apologized to the community for the trauma his actions caused and said that he wants to do better by his little brother and sister.
Hoshizaki agreed with the joint submission on sentence but noted she is doing so with hesitation given the gravity of the offence.
“We’ve seen a real increase in gun violence and drug violence and everything that comes with the drug trade,” she said. “It is very concerning to the court and very concerning to the general public in Thunder Bay.”
Engaging in a shootout in broad daylight in a busy residential area was considered a significant aggravating factor, but Hoshizaki also credited Thomas with taking responsibility early and saving significant judicial resources through his plea of guilt.
“You need to understand that any similar conviction before the court will bring you back into custody for a much longer time,” Hoshizaki said.
“The people of Thunder Bay deserve to feel safe on the streets. This was in broad daylight and in an area you expect people to be. This makes the court stand up and look at it very carefully.”
With pre-sentence custody of 467 enhanced days, Thomas will serve an additional 41 months. He is also required to submit a DNA sample and is subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition.
Thomas was also sentenced to 90 days on the possession of crack cocaine for the purposes of trafficking to be served concurrently.
Deserrae Dawn Barber of Thunder Bay and two youth from the Toronto area were also charged in connection to the incident. Their charges still remain before the courts.
