Question juridique clé
Whether the appellant's contribution made him a co-perpetrator of murder rather than merely an aider and abettor.
Solution extraite
His pre-offense and concurrent contributions, especially loading the weapon and remaining present throughout the killing, were sufficiently substantial and showed a shared intent; he was a co-perpetrator, not merely an aider.
Motifs extraits
Co-perpetration requires intentional, substantial cooperation in planning or execution based on a common criminal plan; it is enough that the combined contributions are essential to the offense. The appellant's role in securing ammunition, stealing a getaway car, loading the shotgun, accompanying the victim, and staying present during the killing outweighed his earlier passivity. Post-offense cleaning and concealment also showed no distancing from the crime.