A memorial for the victims of the La Loche school shooting on Jan. 25, 2016, in La Loche, Sask.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
A teenager who killed four people and injured seven in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Loche told a case worker that he wished he had killed himself.
Christopher Hales works at the youth detention centre where the teen has been held since shortly after the January 2016 shooting.
Hales said the teen told him: "I should have shot myself when I had the chance."
Court heard that the teen also told Hales "that he shot up the school because he wanted to see what it would be like."
Hales said that during a conversation with the teen, he asked him why he had done it.
"He said, 'Everyone wants to know why'," Hales told court.
"Then it kind of led to how he felt afterwards and then he made the statement 'extreme scary rush.' He felt scared after doing it, when he pulled the trigger."
Hales also told the court that the teen glorifies violence and briefly lost some privileges at the detention centre for his attitude and other infractions, including saying jail was fun.
But he also said the teen has not assaulted his peers or staff, has made significant progress in his education and has held his privileges longer than most offenders at the facility.
"He's normally not a behavioural concern," Hales said under cross-examination from defence lawyer Aaron Fox.
Fox also read part of an email by clinical psychologist Dr. Katelyn Harker, who spoke with the teen after he left the note. Harker wrote that she doesn't believe he has a plan to hurt anyone.
"He stated he does not want to hurt more people, that he has hurt enough people and he does not want to make the situation worse," read Fox.
The teen pleaded guilty last fall to killing brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine in a home before shooting up the high school where teacher Adam Wood and teacher's aide Marie Janvier died.
He has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
The sentencing hearing is to determine if the teen, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, should be sentenced as an adult or a youth.
An adult sentence would be life in prison. He could get six years of custody and four years of probation, if sentenced as a youth. However, when someone reaches the age of 20, they normally get transferred to an adult facility for the rest of their sentence.
The Crown wrapped up its case Wednesday afternoon and the defence plans to call its first of three witnesses Thursday morning.
Fox also asked the court for what is called a Gladue report, which is a pre-sentencing report that looks at an aboriginal offender's background. But it shouldn't cause much delay, he said.
"As some of the facts have come out, it's pretty clear that there's some history there that we think is relevant and this is just too serious a matter not to have that covered off," said Fox.
"It's not a situation where anybody is prejudiced by the delay. Having said that, I understand people want to get this wrapped up, but it's too important an issue not to deal with."
Fox also said if the teen makes a statement, it will be Friday.
No date has yet been set for closing arguments.