Nephew of former 'Dragons' Den' star pleads guilty to manslaughter after 'inadvertently' shooting and killing best friend
A Caledon man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed his best friend with a machine gun at his uncle’s home in 2018.
Jonathan Weir, nephew of former CBC "Dragons’ Den" star and entrepreneur Michael Wekerle, and Tyler Swartz were 20 and 18 years old at the time of the incident, respectively. The pair had spent Dec. 27 at Weir’s uncle’s sprawling Caledon property northwest of Toronto using firearms for target practice and rabbit hunting.
After successfully shooting a rabbit, Weir and Swartz invited two friends over to the property to have a barbeque and cook the rabbit, according to an agreed statement of facts obtained by CTV News Toronto.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., the pair called the two friends to inquire about their arrival time. Weir and Swartz were heard laughing and court documents show it “sounded like they were having a good time.”
Shortly after the call, Weir came into possession of a Colt R75 machine gun, which is prohibited in Canada, and “inadvertently” pulled the trigger. Two bullets were fired with one pull of the trigger, fatally injuring Swartz. An Orangeville court heard that Weir did not know the gun was loaded, did not intend to fire the weapon, and did not intend to harm or kill Swartz.
Weir’s guests arrived shortly after the shooting took place. They described him as being hysterical and crying.
Later, surveillance video on the property captured a pickup truck, similar to the one Weir had been seen driving earlier in the day, headed to an area of the property that contained a pond. This took place before a call to 911 had been made reporting that Swartz had been shot, court documents show.
Weir would contact authorities at 7:23 p.m. to report that Swartz had been shot. However, Weir indicated to the 911 operator that he was walking his dog at the time when he heard a shot and went back to the house to find Swartz suffering from a gunshot wound.
An OPP vehicle parks at the entry way to a Caledon, Ont. residence on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018 (CTV News/Steve Mansbridge)
Police would arrive on the property to find a male on the ground who was unresponsive. Officers would find a different gun, an SKS rifle, near his body.
Swartz was pronounced dead at 7:49 p.m. An autopsy would find that he died due to a perforated gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Weir was arrested on the day of the shooting. He was charged with first-degree murder on Dec. 28.
A forensic scientist would later find that the SKS rifle was not the firearm that caused Swartz’ injuries. As a result, investigators with Caledon OPP returned to the scene in July of 2019 and drained the pond on the property and found a Colt R75 machine gun.
Following cleaning and analysis of the weapon, it was determined that the ammunition within the firearm was consistent with the bullets that were fired and caused Swartz’s death.
Weir’s charge was later downgraded to second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty to that charge but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in connection with the incident on Wednesday.
Wekerle told the Toronto Star in January of 2019 that he was out of the country at the time of the shooting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.