Teen behind execution-style killing found guilty of 2nd-degree murder

A 14-year-old boy has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the execution-style killing of Ajay Simpson, a lesser charge than the first-degree murder initially faced. The victim's mother, who has requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, expressed her distress and disappointment with the verdict.

Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden stated that while the teenager was prepared to fire at a group of strangers, the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the killing was planned and deliberate. Bawden suggested it was possible the boy spontaneously decided to kill Simpson during a neighborhood shooting.

The incident occurred on June 24, 2024, when a stolen Acura sedan circled an apartment complex in North York. Four masked and armed men exited the vehicle and began firing shots near a gazebo. While three men quickly returned to the car, the teenager pursued Simpson, who was riding an electric scooter. After chasing Simpson across a courtyard, the boy fired shots, and then approached the fallen victim to fire five more shots at close range before fleeing with the other shooters.

The victim's mother stated, "I want people to see the actual video so people can see how this person hunted my son down, and to show how the justice system failed." The identity of the now 16-year-old perpetrator is protected by a publication ban under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

“

I want people to see the actual video so people can see how this person hunted my son down, and to show how the justice system failed.