Eric Amaral pleads guilty in Kitchener crossbow shooting death of Michael Gibbon

Eric Amaralhas pleaded guilty to second-degree murderin the 2015 crossbow shooting death of Michael Gibbon in Kitchener.

Court heard the macabre details of how Amaralwas carrying his crossbow in a wooded part of Kitchener,saw a stranger out for his morning walk, thengot down on one knee, took aim and shot the man in "a random and unprovoked killing."

Amaralalso pleaded guilty Thursday to shooting a police officerwith a BB gun in a related incident.

• 'My brother never got a chance,' sister of crossbow shooting victim says
• Michael Gibbon, Kitchener, Ont. man killed by arrow was on routine walk
• Eric Amaral charged with 1st-degree murder in Kitchener, Ont., arrow death

A man walking his dog found Gibbon on the front lawn of a home in Kitchener'sMount Hope-Breithaupt Park neighbourhoodwith a boltsticking out of his chest at about 7 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2015.

The crossbow bolt had penetrated Gibbon's left lung and his heart.

Gibbon was rushed to hospital and a statement of facts presented in court Thursday said he told paramedics, "I'm fine," and, "It hurts."

His conditionquickly deteriorated and he underwent emergency surgery, but was pronounced dead at 8 a.m. that day.

Justice Gerald Taylorcalled the attack just before dawn "shocking" and said Amarallacked "any reason for the taking of a human life."

"Eric Amaral was using Michael Gibbon for target practice," Taylor said.

Amaral was sentenced tolife in prison with the chance of parole in 14 years. He will also serve another two yearsconcurrently for the shooting of the police officer.

Amaral addressed the court Thursday. "I truly apologize for the death of MichaelGibbon. Nothing I could say can change the death of Michael Gibbon. I'm truly sorry for that."

'Random and unprovoked killing'

The agreed statement of facts said this was "a random and unprovoked killing. There is no link whatsoever between the victim Michael Gibbon and the accused."

In his own account, provided in the statement of facts, Amaral said he bought the crossbow and had been doing target practice in his apartment. But this was "impractical."

On Oct. 5, 2015, Amaral decided to go to a wooded area in the Breithauptneighbourhood of Kitchener to experiment with his crossbow, but it was too dark for target practice.

Amaralacknowledges that he targeted and shot Gibbon intending to cause him bodily harm that he knew was likely to cause death.-Agreed statement of facts presented in court Thursday

"Amaral exited the bush and was across the road from the sidewalk that Michael Gibbon was walking on. From one knee, he fired the crossbow at Michael Gibbon," the statement of facts said.

Amaral knew he had hit Gibbon, but did not try to help him.

"Amaral acknowledges that he targeted and shot Gibbon intending to cause him bodily harm that he knew was likely to cause death and was reckless as to whether death ensued," the statement said.

Amaral went back to his apartment and had little contact with anyone prior to his arrest. He made plans to kill himself, but was unable to go through with his plan.

Crossbow dumped at gas station

Investigators learned the crossbow bolt had been purchased from Shooter's Choice in Waterloo. They identified Amaral as having purchased the bolt on Sept. 22, 2015.

At the time, Amaral was prohibited under court order from possessing or carrying any weapons.

Police set up surveillance on Amaral on Oct. 13 and followed him as he dumped the crossbow in a gas station's garbage bin. After Amaral drove away, the officers retrieved a Barnett Recruit compound crossbow, a 20-inch Carbon Express piledriver bolt with one white and two green fin guides, and a Barnett Recruit Easton Carbon bolt with one white and two orange fin guides and a missing piece on the end of the arrow.

The piledriver bolt had the same production stamp date as the bolt removed from Gibbon.

Amaral then drove toward Toronto in an attempt to flee the country, but had to turn around because he forgot his passport, the statement of facts said.

Confrontation with police

Police attempted to pull Amaral over, but he initially refused. When he was pulled over, Amaral fired a BB gun at Det. Doug Buckley, who returned one shot from his service weapon. The bullet went into Amaral's dashboard and did not hit Amaral.

"Amaralarmed himself with a non-lethal pellet gun and triggered an exchange of fire with the police upon his arrest in an attempt to prompt the police to kill him," the statement said.

When it appeared Amaral was going to shoot Buckley a second time, a tow truck driver who was parked in front of Amaral's car quickly backed into Amaral's vehicle. The action startled and distracted Amaral and he got out of his car and he was then arrested.

Police seized a number of items from Amaral's home and car, including other bolts, a folding knife, cellphone, a receipt for a crossbow and a prescription for the anti-depressant sertraline.

The cellphone showed a number of web searches for crossbows, murders in America, recruitment with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Australian Massacre and "how long does it take to check fingerprints."

Insp. Mike Haffnerof Waterloo Regional Police said Thursday the force would not comment on the outcome of the case.

"This was a tragic event in our community and our sympathy goes out to the family of Michael Gibbon," Haffner said in an email.

Neighbour held his hand as he lay dying

Gibbon's sisterLinda Leinweber told CBC Radio's As It Happens her brother was working the night shift and walking was the only exercise he got.

"He was born...[in] that neighbourhood, and that was the neighbourhood he's been walking around in since he could walk so there was no fear of anything happening," Leinweber said.

Leinwebersaid a woman saw Gibbon on her yard and went out to help.

"She looked out the window and he was laying there and she went out and when she saw, Imean the arrow was sticking out of him. And so she went in right away and got her son right away, she was just shaken. He called the ambulance," Leinweber said.

"This is the only comforting part for me: She went out and covered[Michael] with a blanket and held his hand and talked to him because my brother was still conscious at that point."