DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - Nolan Schmidt was sentenced to eight and a half years behind bars Thursday at B.C. Supreme Court in Dawson Creek, bringing three days of sentencing proceedings to a close.
Schmidt pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Johnny Joel Freeman’s death on January 19, 2025.
Schmidt also received a five-year sentence for the aggravated assault of Brandon Badger, who was shot later that same evening.
Schmidt received 33 months’ credit for time already served, leaving five years and nine months on his sentence.
The two sentences will be served concurrently, meaning Schmidt could be eligible for full parole as early as September 2029.
Schmidt appeared virtually for Thursday’s hearing after weather conditions prevented his flight to Dawson Creek.
Justice John Walker described the circumstances surrounding both shootings as highly aggravating.
He pointed to Schmidt’s decision to leave both scenes without providing assistance or notifying authorities.
Walker said the shootings had to be considered in the context of broader gun violence in Dawson Creek, where he noted a history of unsolved murders and missing people.
The court heard Schmidt was under three separate court orders prohibiting him from possessing weapons when the shootings took place.
He previously pleaded guilty to weapons-related offences in November 2024, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence.
Justice Walker rejected the defence’s argument that Freeman’s death was closer to a near accident than a near murder.
The judge said he could not conclude Schmidt intended to shoot Freeman. But he found no compelling reason for Schmidt to carry a loaded shotgun.
Walker noted Schmidt used a folding shotgun that could be easily concealed. He also considered the second shooting, which happened minutes after Freeman’s death, bringing the circumstances closer to the near-murder end of the scale.
Schmidt’s personal circumstances also factored into the judge’s decision.
Now 25, Schmidt was 23 at the time of the shootings. The judge acknowledged his ties to Blueberry River First Nations through his late mother and accepted the Gladue report as a mitigating factor.
The court heard Schmidt entered provincial care at age 12 and attempted suicide later that same year. The judge also acknowledged the significant instability he experienced growing up.
Schmidt was first exposed to drugs and alcohol when he met his father at age 12. Walker also acknowledged his history of substance use.
He was later diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit disorder (ADD) at age 14.
Although the court heard Schmidt had used methamphetamine at the time of the shootings, the judge found there was insufficient evidence to consider his intoxication a mitigating factor.
On Tuesday, Schmidt addressed the judge directly, expressing remorse for his actions.
“The events that took place that night were not out of anger or hate,” he said.
“It eats at me. I can’t sleep. I feel like a monster,” Schmidt told the court.
He added, “I feel as though whatever I get, I deserve.
Justice Walker accepted Schmidt’s remorse as genuine and considered it a mitigating factor when determining his sentence. He also placed significant weight on Schmidt’s guilty pleas.
Despite acknowledging those mitigating factors, the judge said a sentence of up to 10 years could have been appropriate.
Walker said Schmidt had no concrete rehabilitation plans and urged him to pursue rehabilitation programs while serving his sentence.
Freeman’s family attended all three days of the sentencing hearing. Justice Walker acknowledged the pain and grief described in nine victim impact statements entered into the record.
A gasp came from among Freeman’s family as Justice Walker delivered the sentence.
Outside the courthouse, Freeman’s family expressed anger and disappointment with the sentence, particularly how little additional time Schmidt may serve behind bars. They declined to speak on camera.
The family has previously described Freeman’s death as an immense loss. They say no amount of time behind bars will bring back a father, grandfather and brother.
The judge also imposed a lifetime prohibition on Schmidt possessing firearms and ordered the shotgun and ammunition used in the shootings forfeited.
Schmidt will now be transferred to a federal prison to serve his sentence.