A 15-year-old boy has been charged in the death of an up-and-coming MMA fighter who died while trying to stop an armed robbery during a charity poker game last year.
Kearn Nedd, 28, died in hospital after he was shot at the Rozz Banquet Hall in Brampton on April 16, 2011.
Police said two masked men carrying firearms burst into the hall and fired several shots in a botched robbery attempt. More than 130 people were inside the hall for the afternoon tournament at the time of the robbery.
Nedd was shot after a scuffle with one of the gunmen. Police said he was acting as a Good Samaritan, as he ran to assist the organizer who was being attacked by the gunman. Police allege that both masked gunman fired their weapons at Nedd during the ensuing altercation.
The suspects then escaped from the hall and fled to a waiting vehicle.
Nedd, who was a rising star in mixed martial arts, was taken to Brampton Civic Hospital where he died of his injuries.
The case remained under investigation for weeks after the shooting, until police got a break in the case during an apartment raid.
Investigators said they found the pistol used to shoot Nedd in a raid on June 9, 2011 in Mississauga. They also found drugs and ammunition.
The 15-year-old suspect, who was 14 at the time of the incident, appeared in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to face a charge of second-degree murder. Due to his age, he cannot be identified.
Earlier this month, forensic tests with one of the guns found in the raid confirmed that it had been used in the fatal shooting.
The 15-year-old suspect was already in police custody due to unrelated weapons charges.
Insp. George Koekkoek, from Peel police, said it's a tragedy that someone so young has been charged in the case.
He added that "14 year olds should be in school dealing with things that 14 year olds deal with."
Despite the court appearance Monday, police are still searching for another suspect in the case.
Stemming from the apartment raid, Samir Abdelgadir, 30, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Abdelgadir is in custody awaiting trial. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday.
