Man who wounded Alberta toddler in drive-by shooting getting out of jail

A gang member who shot a toddler on a central Alberta reserve is to be released from jail when his sentence expires later this month.

Christopher Crane was convicted for a drive-by shooting that wounded Asia Saddleback of the Samson Cree Nation in 2008.

The girl was 23 months old when she was hit by a stray bullet as she was eating dinner with relatives.

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While serving his sentence, Crane had his statutory release revoked three times over drug and safety concerns, including this month after he admitted to injecting drugs at a halfway house earlier this summer.

A Parole Board of Canada report released Wednesday said Crane would present a risk to society without supervision.

"In the most recent correctional plan, the CSC (Correctional Service Canada) identifies substance abuse, personal emotional, attitude and education/employment as requiring a high need for improvement," the report said.

"While under sentence, CSC advises you have been involved in numerous violent incidents including multiple assaults on staff and other offenders, and uttering threats.

"You have not completed any core programming to address risk due to your poor institutional behaviour."

The parole board notes that Crane is a maximum security offender who is at moderate risk to reoffend, including against intimate partners.

Crane is serving the remaining few days in custody at a halfway house until his sentence expires on Sept. 24 under conditions that include no drugs, alcohol or associating with known criminals.

Crane had been drinking and doing drugs at the time of the shooting.

He was sentenced to 7 1/2 years for aggravated assault, robbery with a firearm, uttering threats, assaulting a peace officer and other charges.

Saddleback survived the gunshot wound, but doctors were unable to remove the bullet lodged between her liver and spine.