Gerald Bakewell wants people to know that, despite how his son spent his final hours, he had people in his life who loved him. Shane Bakewell, 32, died outside Hope Mission's Herb Jamieson Centre in 2023, bleeding to death from a gunshot wound over the course of 27 hours before staff called 911.
Sentencing for the Killer
On Friday, his killer, Harrison Belanger, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 13 years. Court of King's Bench Justice Michael Lema called Belanger's actions "reprehensible," saying he shot Bakewell merely to feel like a "tough guy."
"What was the price of Mr. Belanger acquiring big man status and swagger for a few minutes?" Lema asked. "The price was a man's life — a family's heartbreak and a giant tear in the social fabric."
Spree of Violence
Belanger was convicted of second-degree murder after a trial last year. The Bakewell shooting was the midpoint in a random string of attacks on strangers that began early on Jan. 1, 2023. Before shooting Bakewell, Belanger punched a man outside Boyle Street Community Services after setting fire to his bandana. About 15 minutes later, he started a fight with Bakewell, who appeared to be holding a knife. During the fight, Belanger reached into his backpack, levelled it at Bakewell, and fired a gun hidden inside. Bakewell stumbled off, and Belanger returned to the crowd, where people appeared to congratulate him.
"You can see in the security video that after shooting Mr. Bakewell and chasing him away like an annoying pest, Mr. Belanger swaggers back to the scene to apparent acclaim — with one person, who lacked all basic human decency, applauding," Lema said.
When the attention faded, Belanger lashed out again, stopping a limo at 105 Avenue and 102 Street, beating up the driver, then strutting back to the crowd.
The Victim's Final Hours
Bakewell staggered toward the Herb Jamieson Centre, an emergency homeless shelter. He collapsed in a snowbank, then sat in a wheelchair and tried to examine his midsection. He spent the next 27 hours "alternately sitting on a chaise lounge, lying on a snowbank, standing next to the door, sitting in the wheelchair, lying on the ground and eventually on his back," Lema wrote. Shelter staff eventually found him unresponsive and attempted CPR. He died in hospital of a gunshot wound to the stomach.
"He did have struggles with homelessness, but he was still a person," Gerald Bakewell said outside the Edmonton courthouse, holding a framed childhood picture of his son. "Shane did not deserve what happened to him."
