Manitoba man pleads guilty in fatal shooting of stepson, says crash ‘happened in a split second’

A Manitoba man has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence after he said he accidentally shot and killed his stepson in a small southeastern Manitoba community last year.

Cory Davis, 44, pleaded guilty in Manitoba provincial court on Oct. 31 to criminal negligence causing death by firearm and violating gun ban orders, according to court records reviewed by CBC News.

Dylan Jones, 27, was fatally shot at a home in Blumenort, Man., on Aug. 1, 2023, Manitoba RCMP previously said.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Jones was shot while his mother and stepfather were visiting his mother’s house for a barbecue with Davis.

The statement states that both Davis and Jones consumed alcohol throughout the day. Davis was drunk and had also consumed marijuana.

Around 7:30 p.m., Jones’ mother went outside to smoke a cigarette, leaving the two men alone inside. Jones showed his stepfather a replica gun, and then Davis pulled a firearm from his bedroom closet.

As Davis pulled the gun, Jones reached for him while Davis was still holding the gun, the court heard.

“Davis said, ‘Don’t do that,’ pulled the gun back, and the gun accidentally discharged once,” the agreed statement of facts said. It was said.

Davis believes Jones touched the gun but is unsure how the trigger was pulled, saying “his finger wasn’t on the trigger and it all happened in an instant.”

Davis also admitted violating a contact order following his arrest. The order prohibited him from communicating with his wife.

He will be sentenced by state court Judge Samuel Raposo at a later date.

Crown prosecutor Kristee Logan and Davis’ defense attorney Saheel Zaman jointly recommended that Davis serve a six-year prison sentence.

He was initially charged with numerous firearms-related offenses, but those offenses were stayed.

The Gladue report will also be completed for Davis, who is Métis.