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The “black hoodie man” captured on video in the 2018 brazen Queen St. W. shooting of rapper Jahvante Smith, better known as Smoke Dawg, and his friend has been found guilty of two counts of manslaughter — and not guilty of second-degree murder.

Just 16 at the time, he can only be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act as K.J. Superior Court Justice Michael Dineen found that his opening fire on the busy street that day was a “contributing cause” to the deaths of Smart, 21, and manager Ernest Modekwe, aka Koba Prime, 28.

But while the shooting was “outrageous,” Dineen said prosecutors hadn’t proven that K.J. fired the fatal shots or had the maturity to form the intent to commit murder.

His co-accused Abdulkadir Handule was convicted in 2022 of second-degree murder in the killing of the two men after a confrontation with Smart outside Cube nightclub on June 30, 2018. He’s currently serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 20 years.

Handule, 22 at the time, fired the fatal shot that killed Smart — an eyewitness testified to him shooting the up-and-coming rapper from Regent Park in the head as he lay injured and face down on the sidewalk. He was also convicted of aggravated assault after a female bystander was hit in the leg.

Accused had been denied entry to party

Court heard Handule and K.J. had been denied entry to Cube’s day-long rooftop Canada Day party and had a driver pick them up to head to Brampton. While on the Gardiner Expressway, K.J. received a phone call and told the driver he had to go back to drop off a friend’s car keys.

After returning the keys and spotting Smart outside the club, K.J. came back to the vehicle and told Handule, “that guy is here.”

A heated argument between Handule and Smart ensued and after Handule threw something at him — perhaps a cigarette — the rapper pulled a gun and fired six shots in his direction to “frighten him off,” the judge said, noting the bullets didn’t hit anyone. Smart and Modekwe then began to run.

Several seconds later, K.J. fired two volleys of shots after them, while Handule pursued them, firing a single shot. Smart and Modekwe dropped to the ground. Handule approached and fired more shots, one of which struck Smart in the head and caused his death. Modekwe died later from injuries caused by a shot to his back. There was no forensic evidence capable of showing who fired that shot, Dineen said.

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There was evidence, though, that K.J. fired the shot that hit the bystander in her leg and was found guilty of aggravated assault.

The judge rejected the Crown’s argument that K.J. was acting in concert with Handule or was aiding or encouraging him.

K.J. fled to Alberta, where he wasn’t arrested until 2025. Court heard he faces more charges there.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for later this month. K.J. faces a maximum three-year youth sentence.

mmandel@postmedia.com