A Cariboo area man who shot two people at the Williams Lake Stampede in 2022 will serve seven years and 10 days in prison.
Jordell Anthony Sellars, 34, was sentenced in Williams Lake Provincial Court on Wednesday, Oct. 25 following a joint submission by Crown and defence.
He appeared by video from Prince George Regional Correctional Centre where he has remained in custody since his arrest on July 3, 2022.
Four members of Sellars family, a Indigenous court-worker and four RCMP officers attended the hearing.
Sellars was initially charged with one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of discharge of a firearm with intent to wound or disfigure, one count possession of a firearm without a licence or registration and one count of possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm.
On Sept. 6, 2023 he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault, one count of discharging a firearm while being reckless of the safety of another person and one count of possession of a loaded restricted firearm without proper authorization or licensing.
An agreed statement of facts submitted by Crown described the shooting incident and how at approximately 3:25 p.m. July 3, Sellars intentionally discharged a 9 mm palmer pistol, a semi-automatic firearm, at the Stampede Grounds in an area where food and merchandise vendors were selling refreshments and souvenirs to people attending the Stampede.
He discharged at least two bullets - one bullet struck and injured Lashway Merritt near his fourth rib, another bullet struck and injured Rosalie Montgomery in the foot, the court heard.
Sellars attempted to flee the scene, but was arrested by officers within moments at the edge of the upper parking lot.
There were many witnesses to the incident, as there were vendors in the area and customers.
Additionally, thousands of people were in the grandstands at the time watching the final bullriding event.
Agreeing with a joint submission from Crown and defence on sentencing, Judge Mulder imposed a sentence of nine years in jail for each of the two counts of aggravated assault, three years for possession of a loaded restricted firearm and five years for reckless discharge of a firearm.
Sellars will serve those terms concurrently, which means at the same time, but was given 720 days credit for the 420 days he had already served in custody, meaning he will serve seven years and 10 days.
Additionally, he is prohibited from possessing any firearm, crossbow, restricted weapon, ammunition and explosive substance for life and will have to provide a DNA samples for three of the counts.
He is also prohibited from communicating directly or indirectly with Merritt, Montgomery and Wynona Billyboy for the term of his sentence.
Judge Mulder described the circumstances as “very serious,” and said while Merritt and Montgomery were Sellars’ main victims there are a number of unnamed victims.
“All of the people who were at the Stampede at the time this happened will have the trauma of that experience with them for some time and the absolute fear that would have caused.”
Another factor, the judge said, was Sellars’ prior record of firearm offences and that he was prohibited at the time of the shooting from possessing a firearm at all.
Mulder said Sellars’ guilty plea was a serious mitigating factor in his sentencing as he saved all of the witnesses from potentially having to go to trial and relive the experience.
“I give you full credit for accepting the responsibility Mr. Sellars. That speaks volumes.”
Referring to the Gladue Report prepared for Sellars, Mulder said it is clear his life to this point was traumatic, with deaths of friends and family members, including some murders and overdoses.
“These are the types of deaths that tear a community apart and you have experienced a number. I can’t even comprehend - it’s devastating what you’ve had to go through. It’s not to excuse you from these offences, but it gives us some understanding of what has gone on and how you got to the situation you are in here today.”
Mulder encouraged Sellars to believe his path for rehabilitation exists and his family supports him.
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In an unrelated matter, Sellars is also facing a charge of assault causing bodily harm from an incident on Nov. 10, 2022, along with four other individuals.
The offence is alleged to have occurred in the remand centre in P.G.
His next appearance on that charge was also on Oct. 25 in Prince George Provincial Court for arraignment.
As the matter is now before the court, the BCPS said it will have no further comment at this time.
Jointly accused with Sellars for the Nov. 10, 2022 incident in P.G. are Shawn Abel Arsenault, Dean Orden, Otis Mecham, Braiden Josie Meck and Ryan David Patrick.
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