Not sure if this is the right place for this-if not please move it.
Since theres another post about guns, thought some would like to know more about the Brass Rail shooting. Those 2 guys went to court and lots more info came out about that night.
I like how B.R. threw them out after not even 30 mins..it was the one guys birthday but don't cut him any slack. I would like to know what "being rude" to the dancers is-that they did not say-but slow buying drinks? Heck they were not in there for more than 30 mins, 1 drink is all I would be on. As for wearing their baseball caps backwards-oh thats really bad---can't have that now can we.
They do explain why the other guy is facing first degree murder charges, they have five eyewitnesses, he was the bellicose instigator of tragic events that ensued. So I can understand now why hes in as much trouble as the shooter but I don't think B.R. should have been so quick to throw the 2 guys out of the club--not saying its right they shot a gun, just that maybe if B.R. would have let the 2 guys celebrate the dudes birthday, the shooting might not have happen. But nows a man is dead, so they should go to jail and I am sure they will be.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Columnist/article/305916
A man walks into a strip bar to celebrate his 23rd birthday. Nothing unusual there.
Less than 30 minutes later, the man and a friend get tossed out of the bar, purportedly for being rude to the dancers, slow buying drinks and wearing baseball caps backwards in the manner of gang members, forbidden by house rules.
Within minutes of the ejection, an innocent bystander is lying dead on the sidewalk, shot in the head.
John O'Keefe was Toronto's second murder victim of 2008, slain Jan. 12 outside The Brass Rail. The 42-year-old was strolling along Yonge St., headed for the subway and home because he had to get up early the next morning to take his son to hockey practice. His misfortune was to step into the path of a bullet on Canada's busiest boulevard.
Edward Paredes and Awet Zekarias were both charged with first-degree murder of O'Keefe and attempted murder of the bouncer who booted them.
Yesterday, Zekarias appeared for a bail hearing before Justice David McCoombs, with 18 relatives and friends drawn from Toronto's Eritrean community providing support in the courtroom, several prepared to post surety.
Bail hearings are routinely subjected to publication bans that allow only the barest of details to be reported. On this occasion, none of the lawyers asked for one.
Zekarias is not alleged to have been the shooter. But, as homicide investigator Det. Graham Gibson told court, reading from synopses of interviews with five eyewitnesses, he was the bellicose instigator of tragic events that ensued.
"I am going to shoot you,'' Zekarias is alleged to have threatened, after brushing himself off from a rough deposit on the street, as bouncer Mario Ordonez told police. Gibson quoted: "Zekarias was shouting (to Paredes), "Give me the gun. I'll do this guy.''
Two other bar staffers said they heard Zekarias urge Paredes to use variously his "gat,'' "piece'' or "rod.''
Yet both of the accused were apparently on their way, walking south, when one of the employees, the head of security, yelled out, "Hey, I got your cellphone!''
Paredes was described as calm and apparently not wishing to provoke further trouble. Then, court heard, "he loses it,'' turning around, pulling a gun from his waistband, twice racking his weapon (a second casing was found on the pavement) and firing directly at employee Shane Knox as the latter ducked inside the doorway.
That bullet found O'Keefe, who'd wandered into the crosshairs.
Court heard that Paredes belonged to a gun club, legally owned the Baby Eagle 9-mm semiautomatic and had a "permit to transport,'' properly stored – not tucked down the front of his pants.
Under police interrogation, Paredes said, according to Gibson's notes, he "wanted to see his girlfriend to say he'd done something stupid,'' and put the clothes he was wearing that night into a plastic bag, the gun in its case, intending to drop everything off at 41 Division the next day.
In his own police interview, Gibson told court, Zekarias acknowledged his rage over brutish ejection. "It did not matter to Zekarias that he was 115 pounds. He was angry'' and prepared to fight. "(But) he denied ever seeing Paredes' gun.'' Denied knowing his friend had one or egging him on to use it.
McCoombs reserved decision on the bail application until March 13.
The judge noted the upstanding qualities of those offering to stand surety and the impressive community support. "It seems likely that (Zekarias) would comply.''
But McCoombs added: "The reality of the fact is that an innocent man was heading home, so he could get up early to take his son to hockey practice, and he was shot in the back of the head.''
And, in a clear reference to the 2005 murder of teenager Jane Creba only blocks away, he observed: "Unfortunately, this is not the first innocent victim to get shot to death on Yonge St.''
Since theres another post about guns, thought some would like to know more about the Brass Rail shooting. Those 2 guys went to court and lots more info came out about that night.
I like how B.R. threw them out after not even 30 mins..it was the one guys birthday but don't cut him any slack. I would like to know what "being rude" to the dancers is-that they did not say-but slow buying drinks? Heck they were not in there for more than 30 mins, 1 drink is all I would be on. As for wearing their baseball caps backwards-oh thats really bad---can't have that now can we.
They do explain why the other guy is facing first degree murder charges, they have five eyewitnesses, he was the bellicose instigator of tragic events that ensued. So I can understand now why hes in as much trouble as the shooter but I don't think B.R. should have been so quick to throw the 2 guys out of the club--not saying its right they shot a gun, just that maybe if B.R. would have let the 2 guys celebrate the dudes birthday, the shooting might not have happen. But nows a man is dead, so they should go to jail and I am sure they will be.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Columnist/article/305916
A man walks into a strip bar to celebrate his 23rd birthday. Nothing unusual there.
Less than 30 minutes later, the man and a friend get tossed out of the bar, purportedly for being rude to the dancers, slow buying drinks and wearing baseball caps backwards in the manner of gang members, forbidden by house rules.
Within minutes of the ejection, an innocent bystander is lying dead on the sidewalk, shot in the head.
John O'Keefe was Toronto's second murder victim of 2008, slain Jan. 12 outside The Brass Rail. The 42-year-old was strolling along Yonge St., headed for the subway and home because he had to get up early the next morning to take his son to hockey practice. His misfortune was to step into the path of a bullet on Canada's busiest boulevard.
Edward Paredes and Awet Zekarias were both charged with first-degree murder of O'Keefe and attempted murder of the bouncer who booted them.
Yesterday, Zekarias appeared for a bail hearing before Justice David McCoombs, with 18 relatives and friends drawn from Toronto's Eritrean community providing support in the courtroom, several prepared to post surety.
Bail hearings are routinely subjected to publication bans that allow only the barest of details to be reported. On this occasion, none of the lawyers asked for one.
Zekarias is not alleged to have been the shooter. But, as homicide investigator Det. Graham Gibson told court, reading from synopses of interviews with five eyewitnesses, he was the bellicose instigator of tragic events that ensued.
"I am going to shoot you,'' Zekarias is alleged to have threatened, after brushing himself off from a rough deposit on the street, as bouncer Mario Ordonez told police. Gibson quoted: "Zekarias was shouting (to Paredes), "Give me the gun. I'll do this guy.''
Two other bar staffers said they heard Zekarias urge Paredes to use variously his "gat,'' "piece'' or "rod.''
Yet both of the accused were apparently on their way, walking south, when one of the employees, the head of security, yelled out, "Hey, I got your cellphone!''
Paredes was described as calm and apparently not wishing to provoke further trouble. Then, court heard, "he loses it,'' turning around, pulling a gun from his waistband, twice racking his weapon (a second casing was found on the pavement) and firing directly at employee Shane Knox as the latter ducked inside the doorway.
That bullet found O'Keefe, who'd wandered into the crosshairs.
Court heard that Paredes belonged to a gun club, legally owned the Baby Eagle 9-mm semiautomatic and had a "permit to transport,'' properly stored – not tucked down the front of his pants.
Under police interrogation, Paredes said, according to Gibson's notes, he "wanted to see his girlfriend to say he'd done something stupid,'' and put the clothes he was wearing that night into a plastic bag, the gun in its case, intending to drop everything off at 41 Division the next day.
In his own police interview, Gibson told court, Zekarias acknowledged his rage over brutish ejection. "It did not matter to Zekarias that he was 115 pounds. He was angry'' and prepared to fight. "(But) he denied ever seeing Paredes' gun.'' Denied knowing his friend had one or egging him on to use it.
McCoombs reserved decision on the bail application until March 13.
The judge noted the upstanding qualities of those offering to stand surety and the impressive community support. "It seems likely that (Zekarias) would comply.''
But McCoombs added: "The reality of the fact is that an innocent man was heading home, so he could get up early to take his son to hockey practice, and he was shot in the back of the head.''
And, in a clear reference to the 2005 murder of teenager Jane Creba only blocks away, he observed: "Unfortunately, this is not the first innocent victim to get shot to death on Yonge St.''
