In a Toronto courtroom on Thursday, defense attorneys argued that a man, who was a teenager at the time of a shooting incident on Queen Street West in 2018, should not be held responsible for the deaths of a rapper and his associate.
The 24-year-old accused, whose identity is shielded by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces charges related to the killings of Jahvante Smart, 21, known as Smoke Dawg, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, known as Koba Prime. Prosecutors are pursuing two counts of second-degree murder against him, along with additional charges linked to injuring a bystander.
The fatal shooting of Smart and Modekwe occurred on June 30, 2018, near Peter Street on Queen Street W. The trial is being overseen by Justice Michael Dineen at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Following the shootings, the accused fled Ontario and was apprehended in Alberta in 2025.
Abdulkadir Handule, a co-accused in the case, was previously convicted in February 2022 on multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for two decades.
According to defense lawyer Gary Grill, the accused, then aged 16, discharged a firearm outside Cube nightclub after Smart initiated the shooting. Grill contended that the accused and Handule reacted to the sudden gunfire and that the accused did not directly cause Smart’s death, asserting his innocence of second-degree murder charges.
Grill emphasized the non-scripted nature of the events, disputing the Crown’s assertion that the accused and Handule coordinated their actions. While acknowledging his client’s guilt in committing aggravated assault, Grill argued against the murder charges, highlighting the lack of conclusive evidence.
A statement of facts revealed that the accused and Handule initially left the club premises due to the accused being underage and denied entry. However, upon a change of plans, they returned to the club. Subsequently, a confrontation between Handule and Smart ensued, leading to a violent altercation that resulted in fatalities.
The judge is expected to issue a verdict in November, concluding the legal proceedings surrounding the tragic incident.
