A man has been charged in connection with a shooting outside of U.P.’s Cineplex that occurred shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

 

Trent Harrigan, 26, of Slaney Hill, was charged Monday morning with attempted murder, police said.

Mr. Harrigan appeared at the Magistrates’ Court yesterday to face the allegations.

He is represented by attorney Marie-Lou Creque, who argued that her client is not a flight risk and should be granted bail.

According to Ms. Creque, the defendant has cooperated with police, and will attend his trial to defend himself against the allegations.

The Crown, however, objected to bail, arguing that Mr. Harrigan is a flight risk as he was born in the United States, and that he may be a threat to society due to the nature of the crime.

“The seriousness of this offence — it is indictable — and if the defendant is convicted [it] carries a life sentence,” explained Crown Counsel Annjel Flax-Solomon.

According to Ms. Flax-Solomon, the incident occurred shortly after 4 a.m. on Sunday, and the Road Town Police Station received reports of gunshots fired in the vicinity of the U.P.’s Cineplex.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Kani Hazel of Paraquita Bay lying on the ground and oozing blood.

Mr. Hazel was taken to Peebles Hospital, where he is on life support and receiving medical treatment for two gunshots to his head and two gunshots to his upper torso, according to Ms. Flax-Solomon.

Video footage captured outside the cineplex shows the victim being approached by the shooter and shot at close range, the prosecutor said.

When police reviewed the footage, Ms. Flax-Solomon said, the shooter was identified as Mr. Harrigan.

In recorded police interviews, the defendant denied having anything to do with the incident.

Ms. Flax-Solomon added that police visited the cineplex and investigated the crime scene, and that the investigation is ongoing.

Magistrate Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo refused to grant bail, and Mr. Harrigan is to return to court on July 10.

Police are asking anyone who was around the area at the time of the shooting or prior to it to call detectives at 368-5682.