(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

‘This is where the fast life got you’: man who shoots friend in the face receives 3.5 year prison sentence

Sep 24, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Mind numbingly foolish and reckless were among the words used by a Prince Albert judge Friday morning to describe the actions of a man who accidently shot another man in the face while they were hanging out and having fun.

Dusty Keenatch, 22, has received a three and a half year prison sentence for the incident that took place on of Sept. 27, 2020. At a separate hearing in July, he entered guilty pleas to aggravated assault and careless use of a firearm.

According to the statement of facts read in court, Keenatch, the victim, and a third man, were hanging out, drinking and playing video games at a residence in the Carlton Park area.

At some point, Keenatch pulled a hand gun out from the waist band of his pants, and despite being told to put it away, proceeded to show off, pointing it directly at the victim who was 19 at the time. Not knowing the gun was loaded, Keenatch pulled the trigger, and the victim was shot in the lower jaw area.

“What transpired in this case was extremely disturbing, in fact it was horrifying,” Judge Thomas Healey said after reviewing the facts.

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Since the incident, the victim has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his jaw and teeth. Due to the delicate area where the bullet was lodged, doctors were unable to remove it fearing further complications.

While reading an emotional victim statement, the mother explained that in addition to her son’s physical injuries, both he and the family have also suffered severe emotional trauma, fearing the shooter would come back. The victim’s ability to engage in any sports or manual labour has also been limited.

Judge Healey noted Keenatch was a bright, capable young man, but added his own concerns about the pre-sentence report which described Keenatch as talking highly about the fast life that comes with selling drugs.

“This is where the fast life got you,” Healey said.

The Crown was seeking a four year sentence while the defence was asking for a two- to three-year jail sentence. Keenatch’s prison sentence will commence after the current one he is serving ends. Last June, he received 18 months jail, after entering a guilty plea to aggravated assault.

While explaining his decision, Judge Healey said he had considered Keenatch’s relatively early guilty plea, saving the victim’s family the emotions that would come with a trial. Also taken into consideration was the fact the incident itself was an accident and Keenatch did not know the gun was loaded.

Prior to the conclusion of Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Healey told Keenatch he hoped he had learned from his mistakes and upon his release remembers his own remorse as well as the the impact and harm he caused the victim’s family.

“It won’t be enough to just talk about [change]. You have to follow through and you will have to make some hard choices. I hope you will make the right ones,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell