Carvel Clayton sentenced to 8 years for killing Shakur Jefferies

A Halifax man apologized to the family of a young father he shot to death in 2016 as he was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for a crime the judge said "is really a tragedy."

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Jamie Campbell accepted a joint sentence recommendation of eight years for Carvel Clayton.The 23-year-old man was given credit for time served, which leaves seven years and 137 days on his sentence.

ShakurJefferies, 21, was found dead in the parking lot of an apartment building on Washmill Lake Drive in Halifax close to supper time onNov. 12, 2016.

Clayton was originally charged with second-degree murder and was scheduled to go to trial this month. But he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter inOctober.

Shots fired in parking lot

According to an agreed statement of facts, animosityhad been growing between both men's groups of friends.

Before the shooting, Jefferies, driving a Cadillac, had "pursued" Clayton in his Mercedes SUV from aBayers Lake dollar store to the apartment building where Clayton lived.

Clayton's girlfriend, who had been in the SUV with the couple's three-year-old daughter, got out of the vehicle and exchanged words with Jefferies before leaving the parking lot with thechild.

Jefferies and a friend thenapproached theSUV, and at one point, Clayton struck Jefferies with his vehicle.

Clayton then parked the SUV, got a .45-calibre gun from a friendand stood beside his car.

The court document states Jefferies was looking for a fightand Clayton pointed his gun at him. That led to a struggle over the weaponand Clayton pulled the trigger.

Of the four bullets that struck him, the shot to the chest killed Jefferies.

Victim's family 'in complete shambles'

ShawnJarvis, whose partner isJefferies's mother,presented a victim impact statement about the "pain and anger" following the shooting.

• Halifax shooting victim Shakur Jefferies memorialized in mural

"Shakurreally could have been anything he wanted to be in this life," he wrote. "Instead his lifewas snatched abruptly. I struggled to keep my pain concealed and support my family."

Jarvissaid his "days and nights are filled with anxiety, depression, grief and hopelessness as we fight like hell to hold on to our family that is in complete shambles."

Redemption possible, says judge

This case has been fraught with tension between the two families thathas erupted in melees at court more than once.

• Carvel Clayton in court to face murder charge in death of Shakur Jefferies

Clayton, an aspiringrap artist who goes by the name Certi,addressed the court andtook responsibility for the shooting,but said he felt"forced into a situation to react the way I did."

Hesaid he was "truly sorry"to Jefferies'sfamily, especially the victim'smother because "no one deserves to bury their family."

The judge said Claytonbears a "significant senseofmoral blame worthiness," and addedthe circumstances of the manslaughter "bring his killing closer to murder than an accident."

"[Clayton]may have felt threatened but he was not backed into a corner. He took a gun, he took the chance that the gun would be used. He did that in a busyresidential neighbourhood whenpeople would be expected to be present," said Campbell.

But he added that Clayton has had "very limited involvement with the criminal justice system" and is "not beyond redemption."

Gun violence condemned

Campbell noted two families areexperiencing great loss one fromthe death of a loved one, the other fromthe imprisonment of a young man.

But as he looked out into the courtroom Tuesday, Campbell said he didn't see "two camps" but rather one community.

"Why do young men have to die on the concrete in parking lots in Halifax?" he asked.

"Why do young men have to keep dying? Why are there guns in this community?"