In March of 2023, Adam Steenbergen fired a round from a Plymer80 semi-automatic firearm at this friend, Michael Leier.

Leier was wearing a bulletproof vest, and this was not the first time the two had played “this game.”

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The bulletproof vest did not stop the bullet, and Leier died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Steenbergen pled guilty to several counts, including manslaughter and possessing a loaded restricted firearm without a licence.

Both the Crown and defence asked that Justice Duncan, the judge, give Steenbergen the mandatory minimum sentence for manslaughter – four years imprisonment.

Steenbergen and Leier had been friends for over five years at the time of Leier’s death. The two had attended a party together earlier in the evening, and Leier drove Steenbergen home, where the two drank alcohol and used cocaine.

After a few hours at Steenbergen’s residence, he took guns, ammunition, and bulletproof vests and put them in Leier’s truck. One gun was a Polymer80, a semi-automatic firearm, and the other was a Cobray M10, a fully automatic firearm.

The two then drove to Fore Bay Road near Jordan River to go shooting. They drove up a remote logging road and got stuck in the snow. They then decided to go shooting in the bush.

Steenbergen helped Leier put on the bulletproof vest. They planned for Leier to reciprocate the shooting once Steenbergen had his turn.

When Steenbergen shot Leier with the Polymer80, Leier dropped to the ground in what Steenbergen thought was a joke.

The projectile from the firearm had lodged in Leier’s sternum, causing bits of bone to break off as secondary projectiles. They landed in his chest, pieces perforated the sac around his heart and the aorta, causing massive bleeding.

Blood loss was fast and significant, leaving Leier unconscious, and he quickly died.

Steenbergen realized that Leier was not faking it and attempted to give first aid to his friend. He couldn’t get the truck out of the snow, and he had no cell service in order to call 911. He put Leier in the truck and left it running to keep him warm while Steenbergen ran to get help.

After running for approximately 20 minutes, Steenbergen was able to flag down a passing vehicle. They also had no cell service so drove back to the truck where Leier was. They loaded him into their car while Steenbergen attempted CPR. Once they got cell service, they were met by an ambulance on West Coast Road around 9:45 p.m.

Paramedics worked on Leier for five minutes before it was decided that lifesaving efforts would not help him. It was clear that Leier was dead.

Sooke RCMP arrived at the ambulance and Steenbergen admitted he was the one who shot Leier. He was arrested and taken into custody. A small bag of cocaine was in his possession.

When police searched the area around the truck they found a spent 9 mm casing in the snow, blood outside the passenger door, and multiple empty cans of a vodka drink scattered on the ground.

Initially, Steenbergen was released without charge but a year later he was arrested.

Several victim impact statements were heard, including from Leier’s wife, one of his young sons, and other family members. They all expressed their grief and how it had profoundly affected them.

Heather Leier, Leier’s wife, also spoke of how Steenbergen was a friend, and that the fact that he took her husband’s life “is a special kind of torture for her.”

Justice Duncan stated that “the mitigating circumstances in Mr. Steenbergen’s case are his guilty plea, the lack of a criminal record, and his genuine and heartfelt expressions of remorse.”

The aggravating circumstances were the use of a firearm, the fact that Steenbergen was not authorized or licenced to be in possession of any type of firearm, the deliberate transportation of unsecured firearms to the location of the shooting, handling firearms under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and the impact the offence has had on the family of his victim.

Justice Duncan sentenced Steenbergen to the mandatory minimum of four years for manslaughter, nine months imprisonment for the firearms offences, to be served concurrently, and six months for possessing an unloaded prohibited firearm, to be served concurrently.

Steenbergen is also subject to a lifetime ban from possessing or using firearms and must submit a DNA sample to be on file.