La Loche shooter 'wasn't bothered' by victim impact statements: psychologist

The teenager responsible for the La Loche shooting "wasn't bothered" when he heardthe impact statements of traumatized shootingvictims and heartbroken relatives of those who died, a Saskatchewan court heard on Tuesday.

In January 2016, theteenager stalked classroom to classroom in a school in the northern Saskatchewan community of LaLoche, firing a shotgun. He shot and killed Adam Wood, 35, and teacher's assistant MarieJanvier, 21.

Earlier in the day, he had shot and killed teenage brothers DayneandDraydenFontaineat a home in the community.

• Court document reveals new details about school shooting in LaLoche, Sask.
• 'I didn't plan to shoot them,' LaLochekiller says ofFontainebrothers

The second week of the shooter's sentencing hearing is currently underway in Meadow Lake, Sask., to determine whether he should be sentenced as a youth or an adult.

'Callousness'inattitude towardschool victims:psychologist

Mental health professionals who took the stand on Tuesday werequestioned about the shooter's motivations, his mental health and his level of remorse.

Saskatoon Health Region clinicalpsychologist KatelynHarkertestified that the shooterwas not particularly impacted by hearing the victims recount how they had been affectedby theshootings.

Harker said he sometimes expressed remorse over the shootings but not always, and that there was a "callousness" in his attitude towardthe victims at the school, but not the Fontaine brothers.

She also told thecourt that an "admiration" for the Columbine school shooterswascommon among many othershooters, and that the person behind for the LaLochekillings is no different.

"I do believe that yes, that was an element of what was going on for the [shooter],"Harkersaid.

She added that staff at KilburnHall a youth custody facility in Saskatoon also reported the shooter would sometimes "laugh" about police shootings and once even mentioned something about joining ISIS.

According to a report, he told a case worker he got "an extreme scary rush after pulling the trigger."

Harkersaidthe statements were evidence of the shooter having "empathy impairments."

She said the youthalso once told her that shooting guns puts him in a good mood.

Harker was concerned he could misunderstand the seriousness of his offence because of the forgiveness and support he had received from his own relatives, and from theFontainefamily.

Psychiatrist 'puzzled' by shooter's actions

Crown witness and psychiatrist Dr.DeclanQuinn also noted the youth's intense interest in previous school shootings during his testimony.

The night before the shooting, the teen looked up on hisiPad"What does it feel like to kill someone."

The next day in school, he used hisiPhoneto search the names EricHarris andDylanKlebold the two infamousshooters in the 1999 Columbine school shootingthat left 15 dead (including the shooters) and injured 24.

These were details revealed in the first week of the court proceeding in Meadow Lake.

Quinn said this fascinationcould have been a contributingfactor in the teen's deadly actions.

But in the end, the psychiatrist hadno clear answer about why the shooter did what he did.

"I am as puzzled now as I was the first day I met him," he said.

Teen was not psychotic at time of offence: psychiatrist

Dr.Quinnsaid he saw the shooter on four different occasions in Kilburn Hallin an attempt "to try and describe any existing psychiatric order he might have."

I am as puzzled now as I was the first day I met him.- Dr.DeclanQuinn

Following the visits, Quinn was able to conclude that the teen's cognitive skills were in normal range.

He added that there's no signs that the teen suffered from anxiety disorders, clinical depression, psychosis, hallucinations or schizophrenia, but he did likely suffer from ADHD.

While the shooter did not rank high on the doctor's rating scales, he did "self-identify" as depressed and anxious. However, Quinn said this self-reporting does not make his own clinical diagnosis invalid in any way.

• Sentencing hearing reveals LaLoche, Sask., school shooter's actions before killings
• 'I've been hated at school,' LaLocheshooter told parents: police

Shooter struggled at school, says defence

Defence lawyer Aaron Fox said the shooter had been having trouble with focusing at school and speaking in classsince Grade 1. He questioned Harkerabout the youth's school life, and she responded that he said he sometimes feltlike people were laughing at him.

"He didn't really consider a future, he didn't consider himself having a positive future," said Harker.

She agreed with Fox that there was a lack of accountability from the shooter's family and school officials about how poorly he was doing at school.

Hearing continues Wednesday

The teen, who was 17 at the time of the shootings and can't be named due to provisions in the Youth Criminal JusticeAct pleaded guilty in October to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.

The hearing continues on Wednesday. CBC Reporter Charles Hamiltonwill be reporting from court.