{"id":319763,"date":"2024-05-13T19:18:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T00:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=319763"},"modified":"2024-05-14T09:22:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T14:22:43","slug":"terror-squad-gand-member-convicted-as-adult-in-casino-winner-killing-gets-9%c2%bd-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/terror-squad-gand-member-convicted-as-adult-in-casino-winner-killing-gets-9%c2%bd-years\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Terror Squad\u2019 Gang Member Convicted as Adult Gets 9\u00bd Years in Casino Winner Killing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A juvenile convicted as an adult of the October 2019 manslaughter<\/a> of a casino winner during a chilling home invasion in North Battleford, Canada, has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison.<\/p>\n

\"Ryan
Unidentified Terror Squad members, above. The Saskatchewan, Canada-based street gang wears black and white and deals in drugs and violence. (Image: CBS Saskatchewan<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The young offender, who cannot be named because of Canada\u2019s Youth Criminal Justice Act, was a member of the local \u201cTerror Squad\u201d street gang. He was 17 years old when he killed Ryan Gatzke, 27, an expectant father who had won a modest sum \u2013 around $1,500 — at the Gold Eagle Casino that night.<\/p>\n

\n

Gatzke and his wife had enjoyed drinks and dinner at the venue in Saskatchewan province<\/a> before heading home. A former Gold Eagle casino employee tipped off the Terror Squad that the Gatzkes would have cash and possibly some weed at their house.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A\u00a0spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA), which oversees the Gold Eagle Casino, told\u00a0Casino.org<\/em> in January that the individual was a former casino employee at the time of the incident, and was no longer associated with or employed by SIGA.<\/p>\n

Sask Today<\/em> reports the employee was rehired after the killing, which SIGA failed to mention to Casino.org.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear whether the individual will face charges.<\/p>\n

Night Terror<\/strong><\/h2>\n

On the night of the Gatzkes\u2019s win, the couple was awoken by the sound of the bedroom door opening. A man with a gun was standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n

Their home had been invaded by three members of the Terror Squad, including Jacob Ballantyne, Isaac Melko, and the juvenile. Meanwhile, another, Charles McLean, waited outside as a getaway driver.<\/p>\n

All were high on drugs and alcohol. Melko was armed with an SKS rifle and Ballantyne a 9mm handgun.<\/p>\n

\n

The juvenile pointed a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun at Gatzke. A struggle broke out, and Gatzke suffered two shots to the mid-chest and abdomen, one of which severed his right coronary artery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The juvenile, who fired the fatal shot, stepped on Gatzke\u2019s body as he lay dying on the floor, according to court documents.<\/p>\n

\u2018No Remorse\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Court psychiatrists have described the juvenile as an individual who had a difficult upbringing and suffers from an antisocial personality disorder. He \u201cfeels no remorse\u201d and is \u201centrenched in the gang and has no motivation to change,\u201d according to court filings.<\/p>\n

Ballantyne was sentenced to eight years in prison and Melko to 12 years after both pleaded guilty to manslaughter. McLean received four years for manslaughter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Outside the courtroom, Gatzke\u2019s mother, June Gatzke, described her son as a hard worker who loved to tease and joke around. He was working two jobs to support his fianc\u00e9e and the baby they were expecting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt rips my heart every time. It rips my heart every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A juvenile convicted as an adult of the October 2019 manslaughter of a casino winner during a chilling home invasion in North Battleford, Canada, has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison. The young offender, who cannot be named because of Canada\u2019s Youth Criminal Justice Act, was a member of the local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":319765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81887,21],"tags":[38,90872,89614,89615,84402,89613,90871,90870],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Terror Squad\u2019 Gand Member Convicted as Adult in Casino Winner Killing Gets 9\u00bd Years<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Juvenile Terror Squad gang member from North Battleford, Canada sentenced as adult for manslaughter of Ryan Gatzke.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/terror-squad-gand-member-convicted-as-adult-in-casino-winner-killing-gets-9\u00bd-years\/\" \/>\n<meta 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