Witness ordered at gunpoint to drive, murder trial told

A witness at the triple murder trial of a 17-year-old told court Tuesday in Winnipeg how the teen ordered him at gunpoint to drive to a party.

The teen was allegedly one of two masked gunmen who burst into the home on Alexander Avenue in the city's Weston neighbourhood on March 29, 2008, and opened fire.

Three people Scott Lavallee, 31, Corey Keeper, 22, and Jennifer Ward, 26 were killed at the house party.

Three others were wounded two men, aged 19 and 29, and a 41-year-old woman but survived the attack.

The 17-year-old accused was 15 at the time of the shooting. His alleged accomplice, Colton Patchinose, 20, who was 18 at the time, is scheduled for trial later this month.

They are each charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

'Going to shoot up the place'

In court Tuesday, Harold Roulette, 27,described how heand Patchinose had been at the party earlier in the evening but left in a hurry under Patchinose's orders.

Patchinose was upset after learning his nickname was similar to that of another man's at the party, said Roulette, whose testimony is key to the Crown's case because no one else at the party could identify the two shooters whose identities were concealed.

Roulettedrove Patchinose to a houseon another street, where the teenwent inside andemerged a few minutes later with theyouthwho is on trial.

Patchinose had also changed into dark clothing, Roulette said, adding the teens got inside the car and both had guns with them.

The teens told Roulette to drive back to the house party because they were "going to shoot up the place."

Hetold them he didn't want to take them backbecause his cousin was at the party. The 17-year-old accused then pressed an old-fashioned revolver the type with a wheeled cylinder for the bullets against the side ofRoulette's head, Roulette testified, saying herealized he had no choice.

"Don't worry, we won't get caught," Roulette said, recalling what the teens told him.

He drove past the front of the house, around the corner, and into the back alley where he stopped. The two teens got out and went into the house then returned afterabouttwo minutes.

Theywere jittery and hyper andeven seemed happy, Roulette testified.

When he asked them what to do, theytold him todrive.He didn't know where to take them, so he drove them home, Roulette said.

He met up with the teens the following daybut no one spoke about the incident.

The day after that, two police detectives arrived at Roulette's house andtook him to apolice station and asked him toidentify the alleged shootersfrom some photographs. One of the people hepicked outwas theteen who is currently on trial, court heard.

Roulette was also initially charged in the slayings but those charges were dropped when investigators realized he was not involved, but was a witness.

Witness breaks down on stand

Another witness who testified earlier in the day was at the house party when the gunmen came in. He said he ran into the basement until the shooting stopped and didn't realize that he'd been hit.

The witness was not being identified by CBC News at request of the family, whichfears retaliation.

Rick Hansen, who also took the stand earlier in the day,told court he was sitting beside his girlfriend in front of the kitchen door when the gunmen stormed in.

Hansen broke downwhile looking at photos of the kitchen andtook several minutes before he could continue speaking once again.

His girlfriend was Ward, who left behind two children when she died.

The trial, which is being heard by Justice Colleen Suche and is set for two weeks.