Three teens will be sentenced for the drive-by shooting death of five-year-old Ethan Yellowbird on the Samson Cree First Nation in Alberta.

The teens were ages 13, 16 and 17 at the time of the shooting in July 2011. They pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing Ethan, who was the grandson of Chief Marvin Yellowbird, as he slept in his home on the reserve.

" Prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence of three years for each defendant. Two of those years would be spent in secure custody.

Defense attorneys are seeking to lower the sentences. They cited the poor upbringings of their clients on a reserve where gangs, drugs and crime are common.

Two months after the incident, another drive-by shooting claimed the life of Ethan's aunt. Chelsea Yellowbird, 28, lived next door.

Get the Story:
Hobbema shooting that killed boy called 'idiotic, thoughtless violence' (CBC 3/20)
Court hears about troubles of teens who shot at house and killed Alberta boy (CP 3/20)
Sentencing reserved for teens who shot and killed 5-year-old boy on Alberta reserve (Globel News 3/20)

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