Alex Resendes has pleaded guilty in connection to the shooting death of Mark Chaves.
The 19-year-old admits he accidentally shot and killed his friend.
Resendes pleaded guilty to manslaughter, possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing a loaded restricted firearm, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking early this year.
Chaves was shot and killed on Oct. 17, 2020 inside Resendes’ Cambridge home on Birkinshaw Road.
According to the case’s agreed statement of facts, Chaves and Resendes were long-time friends. The two regularly hung out and there were no known conflicts between them.
The document said on the night of Oct. 17, Chaves went to Resendes’ house to hang out in the basement. Resendes took out a gun and inadvertently pulled the trigger. The document said the gun was pointed in Chaves’ direction, he was shot and died in the basement.
The agreed statement of facts said Resendes did not intend to kill Chaves.
On Monday, victim impact statements from the victim’s parents and girlfriend were read in court.
“Our lives have changed forever,” Chaves’ parents wrote. “Mark never said goodbye. Our hearts are broken and part of us died with Mark.”
His parents called Chaves a “light in their home.”
“We’ve been retired for over three years and it should be our golden years, but instead it’s our dark years… we miss Mark hanging out around our home, being funny and goofy.”
Chaves’ girlfriend, Kaitylnn Santos, said his death left her “fragile” and “broken.”
“I wish our last kiss lasted a little longer,” she said.
Santos spoke directly to Resendes, saying “you took a life, the life of Mark Chaves, who you knew was my entire world… I hope you see your faults, your mistakes, your carelessness … you disgust me.”
Resendes is scheduled to return to court on April 29, when the crown and defence will make sentencing submissions.
The judge is expected to rule on his sentence after that.
