Toronto Boxing Day killer granted full parole months before Montreal shooting

The man convicted in the 2005 Toronto Boxing Day murder of a 15-year-old was granted full parole in January after being assessed as having a 76 per cent chance of recidivism.

Seven months after getting parole, 43-year-old Jeremiah Valentine faces one count of first-degree murder in the killing of Abdeck Kenedith Ibrahim. Ibrahim, 33, was gunned down in a downtown Montreal square around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday.

In 2009, Valentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years in the 2005 shootout in downtown Toronto between rival gangs that killed 15-year-old Jane Creba.

The shooting took place near the Eaton Centre mall, traditionally one of Toronto’s most popular shopping destinations for Boxing Day sales, during what became known as the city’s “year of the gun.”

In its decision granting parole, the Parole Board of Canada said an August 2021 psychological assessment of Valentine indicated he had the highest level of risk — a 76 per cent chance of violent recidivism over a period of five years after release.

However, the parole board said he made “observable and measurable” change in prison and was “making the necessary lifestyle changes to live a pro-social existence.”

“The board is of the opinion that, on full parole, you will not, by reoffending, present an undue risk to society before the expiration according to law of your sentence, and your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen,” the two-member panel wrote.

Valentine displayed “problematic behaviours” in the first few years of his sentence and was involved in violent incidents in 2010 and 2011, including one in which the victim suffered a 12-centimetre cut that required emergency surgery, the board wrote.

However, his behaviour gradually improved, leading to his transfer to a medium-security institution and eventually to a minimum-security range in 2022, it said. His last disciplinary report was in 2018 and related to the possession of items not listed as part of his personal effects, the board said.

Valentine was granted his first escorted temporary absence from the institution in June 2022 and went on to take part in more than 100 outings to participate in outreach initiatives, the board said.

He was first granted day parole in November 2023, and his release was extended twice before his full parole was approved on Jan. 5.

The board said Valentine had been “for the most part meeting expectations” while on day parole, which it considered as mitigating to his risk of reoffending.

The panel imposed a handful of conditions in granting Valentine full parole, including that he not associate with anyone he believed to be involved in criminal activity and that he not set foot in any drinking establishment.

—With files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press