Mother of slain hockey player shocked at bail for his accused killer

A southern Alberta woman says she was shocked to hear that one of the men charged in her son's shooting death has been granted bail.

Kristian Ayoungman was found dead in his vehicle on March 17 on a rural highway near Strathmore, east of Calgary.

The 24-year-old was a Siksika Nation member and Junior B Hockey player for the Siksika Buffaloes senior AA hockey team, as well asa former player with Strathmore's Wheatland Kings.

Two brothers, Brandon Daniel Giffen, 25, and Kody Allan Giffen, 22, are both charged with first-degree murder.

Melodie Hunt-Ayoungman says she's struggling with a court's recent decision to allow Kody Allan Giffen out on bail with conditions.

"I was in disbelief," she said.

But despite her initial shock, she says she still has faith that justice can be done.

"There's government changes across Canada in regards to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and with the judicial system I do have faith in the Crown that they will do the best that they can do."

She says she hopes something good will arise from her son's death.

"Maybe it takes my son's life to make the world change," she said. "The way people will see his true nature, about how First Nations are, because there are good people out there and my son was a very great man."

Reuben Breaker, a member of the Siksika council who has been supporting Hunt-Ayoungman, says he's less optimistic about the case.

"If one of our boys had murdered a non-Native boy, we wouldn't have even been accessed to bail, let alone granted bail."