Youth violence crisis deepens as two Edmonton teenagers killed this month

Two fatal shootings involving Edmonton youth in a single month have alarmed those working to prevent violence: a 12-year-old found killed north of the city earlier this month, and a 16-year-old girl shot and killed in northeast Edmonton on August 17.

A 16-year-old male has been charged with second-degree murder in the girl's death. According to the Edmonton Medical Examiner's Office, she died from a gunshot wound. Her name cannot be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Cayleigh Ouellette, outreach manager for the Relentless program at YOUCAN Youth Services, which partners with Edmonton police to work with at-risk youth, called the deaths "a really, really brutal failure of a lot of systems." The program supports everyone from first-time offenders to those on trial for major crimes, offering help with housing, schooling, employment, and mentorship.

"We are seeing younger and younger involved in more heinous, violent offences that seemingly, they do not grasp the consequences of," Ouellette said. She noted that many youth are exploited because the Youth Criminal Justice Act provides more leniency than adult courts, allowing adults to use youth to their advantage.

EPS Chief Warren Driechel said the alarm centers on a specific threat: "There are firearms involved, and they are happening in public places these murders. And I think that is very concerning."

Outellette believes Canada's youth criminal justice system needs to prioritize rehabilitation and stability over punishment. "If I'm under the thumb of substance abuse, mental-health issues, poor housing, poor family – I struggle to make better decisions. So giving kids time in custody, some time to engage with school, settle down, get some stable medication, just really learn what it's like to be healthy and stable for a few weeks, is huge."