Peter Khill Shot an Indigenous Man Twice in the Dark — His Self-Defence Claim Led to a Lengthy Legal Battle

In the early hours of February 4, 2016, Peter Khill fatally shot 29-year-old Jonathan “Jon” Styres outside his home near Hamilton, Ontario. Khill said he believed he was facing an armed threat. But the shooting sparked a years-long legal battle over the limits of self-defence and the use of deadly force.

Khill and his partner had been asleep when she heard a noise outside. Looking through a window, Khill noticed the dashboard lights on in his pickup truck, suggesting someone was inside. He retrieved a shotgun, loaded it and went outside to investigate.

In the darkness, he saw Styres leaning into the passenger side of the truck. Khill shouted at him to raise his hands. According to Khill’s testimony, Styres’ movements made him believe the man was reaching for or preparing to use a gun. Khill fired twice, striking Styres and killing him.

After the shooting, Khill searched Styres for a weapon but found no firearm. A folding knife was found in Styres’ pocket. Khill maintained that he had acted in self-defence, saying he believed his life was in danger.

The case initially ended with Khill’s acquittal on a second-degree murder charge in 2018. However, prosecutors challenged the verdict, arguing that the jury had not received proper instructions about how to assess self-defence. An appeal court ordered a new trial, and Canada’s Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2021.

At the second trial in December 2022, a jury found Khill not guilty of second-degree murder but convicted him of manslaughter. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in June 2023.

In February 2025, Ontario’s Court of Appeal upheld the manslaughter conviction but reduced the sentence to six years. The court said the trial judge had intended to impose six years but had mistakenly announced an eight-year sentence. In July 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear Khill’s appeal, leaving the conviction and reduced sentence in place.

The case became a significant legal discussion about self-defence in Canada. The courts considered not only what Khill said he believed at the moment he fired, but also his decision to arm himself and approach the person outside rather than take other possible steps.

For Styres’ family and community, the legal proceedings followed the loss of a young father. The case continues to raise difficult questions about how the law balances a person’s right to protect themselves with the responsibility to avoid unnecessary lethal force.

Source:  cbc.ca