The parents of a teenager stabbed to death outside after a concert on Vancouver Island over the weekend say the young man was only sticking up for a friend when he was murdered.
James Denton, 19, was killed near the entrance to Vanier Secondary School in Courtenay following the Rhythm on the Rock concert Saturday night.
A 16-year-old was arrested near the scene and faces a charge of first-degree murder.
Denton's parents were livid as they attended the suspect's first court appearance on Monday.
"We've had it with little dweebs running around this town with knives because they ain't got enough balls to stand up and fight. My kid didn't want to fight, but he died for it. He didn't even have his hands up," father Dave Denton said.
The family says James was trying to break up a fight between others, but got caught in the middle.
"He died sticking up for a friend," his mother said.
Friends of the accused also attended Monday's hearing and described him as a good kid.
One friend said he was there as the fight broke out.
"Some kids were staring at us, started lipping, and then a group of them just walked by and they came back with their friends and started confronting us, and one thing led to another," he said.
Police said the accused is not known to them and has no previous history of violence or a criminal record.
Investigators say they haven't determined the relationship between the suspect and victim, and they're asking any witnesses to come forward to speak with RCMP.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Brent Shearer
