‘A slap to the face’: Family says 7-year sentence offers no closure in Jal Acor Jal murder

A teen convicted of killing 16-year-old Jal Acor Jal will spend two of his seven-year sentence in custody and the next five years under community supervision.

A Calgary judge has sentenced a teenage killer to the maximum youth penalty of seven years for the 2022 shooting death of 16-year-old Jal Acor Jal, ordering that he serve two years in closed custody followed by five years under community supervision.

The youth, who was 15 years old at the time of the offence, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

CTV News will refer to him as TK.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey delivered the decision Wednesday, describing the killing in stark terms.

“As darkness fell on March 31, 2022, 15-year-old TK pressed the muzzle of his rifle to the back of JJ’s head. TK pulled the trigger, immediately ending JJ’s life. Tragically. Senselessly. Horrifically. Akin to a brutal gangland execution.”

TK was convicted last year of second-degree murder in the shooting near the Crowfoot LRT station.

Outside court, Jal’s family could be heard yelling at the accused and breaking down into tears over the emotional distress of the judge’s decision.

Jal’s aunt, AJ Jal, told CTV News the sentence feels deeply inadequate.

“It’s a slap to the face for sure, and we’re very frustrated; we’re very saddened with the results of the sentencing,” she said.

“At the end of the day, he gets to go to his family after two years; we don’t get to ever see Jal again. We, the family, are grieving for many years; we’re still grieving; we’re not the same; we haven’t been the same; we’re not moving forward, and this is not bringing us closure.”

Under Canadian law, Jeffrey noted seven years is the maximum youth sentence for second-degree murder.

“That sentence of seven years is not a statement of the value the law places on JJ’s life. His life was of immeasurable value; his death, a profound tragedy. His absence is mourned to this day,” the judge said in court.

The Crown had sought the maximum four years in closed custody, which is the highest allowable under youth provisions, with the remaining three years under conditional supervision in the community.

Defence lawyers argued for two years behind bars and five years in the community.

The judge agreed with the defence on the split.

He granted a one-for-one credit for 60 days the teen spent in custody immediately following his arrest, reducing the closed-custody portion to 22 months.

The custodial term began March 2, 2026, and will be followed by five years of community supervision.

In his sentencing reasons, Jeffrey said the gravity of murder is “very, very high” and found the teen’s use of a firearm as an aggravating factor.

However, he concluded the offender’s moral blameworthiness was reduced by significant cognitive deficits and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Court heard expert evidence that the teen’s IQ tested in the second percentile for his age and that he has longstanding challenges with executive functioning and emotional regulation.

Jeffrey also noted the youth had no prior criminal record and had largely complied with strict release conditions for nearly four years while awaiting the outcome of his case.

The fatal shooting occurred March 31, 2022, after the two teens met at the Crowfoot LRT station and walked toward a nearby electrical substation.

At trial, the accused claimed the shooting was accidental, saying Jal shot himself during a struggle over the semi-automatic rifle he had brought to the meeting.

In a 2025 verdict, Jeffrey rejected that account, finding it “impossible” to believe and concluding the gun was pressed against Jal’s head when it fired.

In addition to the seven-year youth sentence, the judge imposed a two-year weapons prohibition and ordered the forfeiture of the Chiappa M1-9 semi-automatic rifle used in the killing.

Outside court, Jal’s aunt questioned whether rehabilitation would make a difference.

“There’s no punishment; I don’t think the rehabilitation he’s wanted to get will help him. This boy has been odd since he was young, so I don’t think rehabilitation is going to help him,” she said.

“It’s sad because Jal was such a family-oriented person; he loved his family, he loved his friends. He was my nephew; he was my little brother. We will never be the same.”