Before two innocent bystanders died and 23 people were injured in the hail of bullets fired during a confrontation at a July 2012 community barbecue on Danzig St., Shaquan Mesquito had threatened to “shoot up” the party.

Afterwards, the 19-year-old who went by the nickname “Bam Bam” sent out messages claiming responsibility.

He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault later that year.

But, in a sudden twist, a court heard Friday morning that while Mesquito threatened violent revenge after being kicked out of the Danzig party, urged others to go on a “killing spree,” and was looking for a gun to kill the man who forced him to leave, he was not one of the shooters in the gunfight.

Nor was he responsible for the actions of the men who did open fire in the crowd of 200 people, killing Shyanne Charles, 14, and Joshua Yasay, 23.

A month after Mesquito was charged, investigators found a security video that placed Mesquito in the lobby of a Lawrence Ave. E. highrise at the time of the shooting. A subsequent investigation found nothing to link him to the 16-year-old who police allege fired the first shot after a confrontation with a rival gang member, sparking the worst mass shootout in Toronto’s history.

(The teenager, whose identity is protected by a mandatory publication ban under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces two charges of second-degree murder and 23 charges of aggravated assault. He is expected to stand trial next January.)

Mesquito, now 21, pleaded guilty to four new charges Friday, after the Crown dropped the murder and aggravated assault charges.

Superior Court Justice John McMahon sentenced him to nine years in prison for counselling to commit murder, threatening to cause bodily harm, and two counts of illegally possessing a loaded firearm.

With credit for pretrial custody, Mesquito has five years and three months left to serve.

McMahon also commended the Toronto police homicide squad for conducting a thorough investigation and avoiding a potential wrongful murder conviction.

“It’s a fine day for the administration of justice,” McMahon said.

When Mesquito was asked if he wanted to address the court, with his mother and family members of Charles and Yasay seated in the public gallery, he quietly declined.

“Mr. Mesquito indirectly participated in acts that eventually led to two innocent young lives being lost in a gun battle at a community party,” McMahon said in his sentencing reasons.

According to the agreed statement of facts read by Crown prosecutor Thomas Pittman, word of Mesquito’s threats caused members of the local gang, the Galloway Boys, to prepare for a possible shootout.

They were on a “hair trigger,” Pittman said.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Mesquito lived in Malvern, the home of the Malvern Crew, a rival gang to the Galloway Boys.

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“(Mesquito) counselled numerous associates in numerous messages in an effort to rally the people he knew who would then go back. God knows what would happen at that point, if several armed members of the Malvern Crew ended up at the barbecue. That would have been an all-out gang war. Luckily, for all, no one took him up on his counsel to commit murder,” McMahon said.

“The motive shows not only the immaturity of the accused, the immaturity of the gang culture, but also the stupidity of any gang culture that thinks being disrespectful entitles you to go back and shoot people.”

Mesquito obtained special permission to attend the party from a member of the Galloway Boys and arrived unarmed and with no apparent desire for trouble, according to the agreed statement of facts.

While at the party he was confronted by another member of the Galloway Boys and “G-checked” — a term for when a gang member checks the identity and gang association of a person from a different neighbourhood.

Mesquito was forced to leave at gunpoint by a youth whose identity is protected by a publication ban. As he left, he warned a group of women not to go to the party because he was going to return and “shoot it up.”

He joined friends of his at a McDonald’s, where he told them he’d been disrespected and began recruiting people to “shoot up” the party and murder the person who made him leave.

Meanwhile, at around 10:40 p.m., one of the organizers of the party, Nahom Tsegazab, began arguing with a youth who allegedly fired the first shots, wounding Tsegazab.

Tsegazab recklessly shot back as the youth ran into the crowd.

Police believe a third man, who has never been identified, also fired several rounds into the crowd.

Last year, Tsegazab pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

The youth who kicked Mesquito out of the party, according to the agreed statement of facts in this case, has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill the alleged first shooter weeks after the Danzig party. He is expected to stand trial this fall.