The man charged in a daytime shooting in Okotoks last spring pleaded guilty in a Calgary courtroom on Wednesday.
Kaden Dwayne Clouston was arrested on May 1, 2024 after shooting his father inside the Sheep River Court home that he lived in with his parents.
Clouston pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to injure and to unlicensed possession of firearms at Court of King's Bench in Calgary on Feb. 5.
In an agreed statement of facts read during the hearing, the court was told that a verbal dispute between father and son escalated.
Just after 3 p.m. on May 1, Kaden Clouston retrieved a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and shot his father in the right buttock, leaving him seriously injured and bleeding heavily.
Numerous 911 calls were made following the shooting, including one where he told dispatchers he had just shot his father.
The victim, Jason Clouston, was shot inside his home but sought help at a neighbour's house.
Kaden Clouston stayed inside the home but 20 minutes after the shooting, dispatchers were able to coach him to leave the residence and he was taken into custody by police.
Clouston later told police he was upset because his father had left the garage door open and some of his belongings got wet. He also told police that he didn’t remember pulling the trigger, and at the detachment, officers heard him say, “I killed my dad.”
He told police he didn’t think the gun was loaded and that he didn’t mean to kill his dad.
A search warrant carried out at the home uncovered two .22 calibre rifles in addition to the shotgun, none of which Clouston was licensed to be in possession of, and various types of ammunition.
His parents were fearful of their son, who was described as suicidal and homicidal, with a pattern of becoming furious if anything happened to his personal belongings.
They were not aware that any guns were in the house.
The court heard that Clouston had been kicked out of the house numerous times in the past and suffers from serious mental health issues.
He told police he was sexually assaulted in high school and began using drugs while living on the street.
He has been in and out of rehab and was admitted to mental health units more than once, the court heard.
Jason Clouston suffered life-long injuries as the result of the shooting and has gone through 12 surgeries.
The court heard that 150 shotgun pellets remain in his body.
A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date, and the court ordered that Kaden Clouston undergo a psychological assessment.
Clouston has been in custody since his arrest and remains in custody. He was denied bail after a hearing last year.
His next court appearance is on May 9 in Okotoks where he will appear via CCTV.
