Article – I’ve spent much of the last two days in Calgary’s downtown courthouse, watching as a story that had haunted our city for over a year reached its conclusion. Yesterday afternoon, a jury found 20-year-old Calgarian Jal Acor Jal guilty of second-degree murder in the January 2023 shooting death of 16-year-old Jasmine Mawlong.
The courtroom fell silent as the verdict was read. For those of us who’ve covered Calgary’s justice system for years, these moments never get easier. Mawlong’s family members clutched each other’s hands, their faces showing both relief and the renewed grief that comes with these judicial milestones.
According to testimony I heard throughout the trial, Jal and Mawlong knew each other. The prosecution successfully argued that their disagreement escalated to violence when Jal shot the teenager at a house party in the southwest community of Woodbine. Court records show the shooting happened shortly after 12:30 a.m. on January 13, 2023.
What makes this case particularly troubling for our community is that Jal was already facing charges in connection with another Calgary homicide at the time of this murder. While covering the courthouse beat for LCN last year, I learned Jal had been charged in the December 2021 murder of Karson Goodeagle, who was stabbed to death in what police described as a group attack.
Sergeant Sean Gregson of the Calgary Police Service Homicide Unit told me earlier this year that cases involving repeat violent offenders create “particular challenges for our investigators and for public safety.” The statistics back up his concerns – according to data from the Calgary Police Commission, violent crime involving previously charged individuals increased 16% between 2022 and 2023.
Defense attorney Rebecca Snukal argued throughout the trial that her client had been misidentified. I watched as she meticulously questioned witnesses about lighting conditions and viewing angles at the crowded house party. However, the Crown presented what proved to be compelling eyewitness testimony that placed Jal at the scene with a firearm.
“The evidence speaks for itself,” Crown prosecutor Ken McCaffrey said outside the courthouse after the verdict. “Justice has been served for Jasmine and her family today.” McCaffrey declined to comment on sentencing expectations, noting that would be determined at a later hearing.
Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence in Canada, with parole eligibility set between 10 and 25 years. Justice Willie deWit scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 15, where victim impact statements will be presented.
Community advocate Heather Campbell, who works with at-risk youth in the city’s northeast neighborhoods, told me this case highlights systemic issues. “When we see young people caught in cycles of violence, it represents failures at multiple levels,” she said during our conversation at her office yesterday. “Prevention requires addressing root causes like poverty, access to mental health services, and community support systems.”
Calgary Police statistics indicate that youth involvement in violent crime has increased 22% since 2019. The Calgary Youth Justice Committee, a community-based diversion program, reported serving 340 young people last year – their highest number in a decade.
Court documents I’ve reviewed show Jal had previous interactions with the justice system as a young offender, though those records remain sealed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. This progression from youth to adult offending represents what criminologists call the “pipeline problem” – something I’ve explored in previous reporting on Calgary’s justice system.
As I left the courthouse yesterday, I noticed Mawlong’s mother being comforted by victim services workers. Having covered too many similar cases in my 15 years reporting in Calgary, I’ve seen how these verdicts offer only partial closure. The ripple effects of violence extend far beyond courtroom walls into our communities.
The case also highlights ongoing concerns about bail supervision in Alberta. According to Alberta Justice data I obtained through a freedom of information request last month, approximately 23% of violent crimes in the province last year were committed by individuals already facing charges for other offenses.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery acknowledged these challenges in a statement to media outlets earlier this year: “Ensuring public safety while respecting the presumption of innocence remains one of our justice system’s greatest challenges.”
As our city processes this verdict, many questions remain about how we prevent similar tragedies. The answers won’t come easily, but they deserve our sustained attention as we work toward a safer Calgary.
For now, a grieving family has answers about what happened to their daughter, and our community has a stark reminder of violence’s devastating consequences.
