'You owe it to my son' to turn life around, weeping mother tells teen sentenced in Winnipeg library murder

Family members of a man fatally stabbed in a downtown Winnipeg library last December wept in court Tuesdayas they talked abouttheir painful loss in the presence of the teenager who pleaded guilty to the murder.

Reading a victim impact statement in court in Winnipeg, Tania Cayer said she struggles to function and can barely sleep most nights sincethe death of her only child, Tyree Cayer.

"I have no confidence in our youth justice system," she said through tears, turning her attention to the 15-year-old boy who murdered Tyree.

"The system is failing our citizens. The only justice I will ever have is that you change your life. You owe it to [Tyree], you owe it to your mother you owe it to my son to live proper."

Provincial court Judge Keith Eyrikson sentenced the teen, whose identity is protected because he is a youth, to the maximum youth sentence for second-degree murder: seven years, with four years in custodyfollowed by three years of community supervision.

Thesentence had been jointly recommended by Crown attorney David Burland and the boy's defence lawyer, Stacey Soldier.

The teenpleaded guilty to the second-degree murder charge this summer for fatally stabbingCayer, 28, on Dec. 11 at the Millennium Library.

The teen, 14 at the time, is one of four youth who were arrested in connection with the incident. The other three ages 14, 15 and 16 at the time were charged with manslaughter.

Cayer died that night after being stabbed several times. The teen turned himself in to police later that night.

Burland read an agreed statement of facts outlining how the attack happened in court, but a publication ban issued this summerrestricts media from sharing details of the incident because the three co-accused are still before the courts.

The teen apologized in court Tuesdayand said the last thought on his mind the day he dies will be of Cayer.

"I want to say sorry to the family," he said. "I took his life. I took him away from his family."

'Not even a library is safe': Crown

The boy had no criminal record before the stabbing, the Crown attorney said in court.

"It was basically a random murder and it was senseless ... ina place that's supposed to be safe for families, students, the vulnerable, people like Tyree,"said Burland."It's a communal space of learning that was horrendously violated that day."

TheMillennium Library, Winnipeg's central branch, was closed for six weeks following the stabbing. Itreopened in January withawalk-through metal detector, security screeners and uniformed police, which thecity said at the time weretemporary measures.

Burland said beyond the tragic loss of Cayer, there's been a "massive impact to the public."

"[The library] now has metal detectors, police, security like a prisonrather than a community gathering spot," he said.

"The city was shocked by this murder and everyone was left asking, 'what is going on? What's happening to Winnipeg? Not even a library is safe.'"

Similar security measures that had been in place at the Millennium Librarypreviously weremet with a wave of criticism from the public and advocates who decried the move as making the public space less accessible. They wereeventually removed.

A pre-sentence report said the teenwas diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder and struggled with"severe impulsivity" thatmay have contributed to the incident, Burland said. He was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in relation to an accident he suffered in childhood.

Those reports also noted he was a moderate to high risk to reoffend.

The defence and Crown attorney recommended the teen serve his sentence under a intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision order, or IRCS, and continue to take medication for ADHD.

An IRCSis a rehabilitation plan developed in an attempt to help minimize the chance the person does something violent again. They can be ordered for youth with mental health needs who are convicted of a serious violent offence.

Life in 'shambles': mom

Burland saidTyree, too, was impacted by mental health challenges

He had beena star running back with the Elmwood Giants football team, who have since retired his jersey number.

But he struggled after high school, particularly with the death of anaunt in 2017 with whom he was very close, court heard. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.

His mothersaid her son had a consistent desire to help others in need, almost like "he thought he was Robin Hood." That giving nature sometimesput him in "unsafe situations," she said.

Tania Cayer said she movedoutside the city a couple of years ago, and hoped she could draw her son out too, which she thought could havehelped him.

"My life now is in complete shambles," shesaid.

"I won't have grandchildren. I won't ever see him get married. I won't get any morepictures or text message'Love you, Mama Bear.'"