Eaton Centre shooter sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 30 years

Eaton Centre shooter Christopher Husbands has been sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 30 years.

Husbands was convicted in December on two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan at the mall. He was also convicted on aggravated assault and criminal negligence charges.

The judge sentenced him to consecutive 15-year sentences on both murder charges. He was also sentenced to 14 years on three aggravated assault convictions to be served concurrently.

Before being sentenced Husbands expressed remorse for the brazen shooting spree that shocked Toronto.

“I’d like to apologize for my actions … that had a terrible impact on so many,” he said. “I may never truly grasp the extent of their suffering but I understand what it’s like to be fearful that tragedy will repeat itself… I feel the shame, I made bad decisions…”

Earlier, Justice Eugene Ewaschuk tossed out a defence charter application that sought to declare the consecutive sentences, ‘cruel and unusual.’

The judge noted that Husbands’ motive was revenge and he was out on bail at the time.

When passing down the sentence he also noted Husbands’ previous convictions for drugs and sexual assault and called him a “person of bad character” who is “highly manipulative.”

The June 2012 shooting turned the popular mall’s food court into a bloody scene of pandemonium that rattled Torontonians and made headlines around the world.

Aside from the two deceased, five innocent bystanders were also hit by the indiscriminate hail of bullets, including 13-year-old Connor Stevenson, who was shot in the head and underwent four surgeries.

Stevenson survived and continues his recovery. His father made a victim impact statement saying his son is serving a “life sentence” of his own, dealing with the physical ramifications of the shooting.

Others, including a pregnant woman, were trampled by the panicked masses trying to flee the horrific scene.