Bystander also shot at
Second target in April shooting was a man trying to write down licence plate number on shooters' vehicle; alleged shooter denied bail
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknifer has learned that a man who went out on his balcony April 26 after he heard shots fired, was then himself shot at twice with the bullets narrowly missing him.
Two men are charged with two counts each of attempted murder while using a firearm following the shooting outside the Fraser Arms apartment building. Sources tell Yellowknifer the bystander came out onto his balcony after he heard the initial shots and was writing down the licence plate number of the shooters' vehicle when it is alleged one of the men then fired two bullets at him.
Travis Campbell, 26, of Langley B.C., and Jason Paul, 18, of Yellowknife, are facing a number of other charges on top of the attempted murder charges. When asked by Yellowknifer at the time of the shooting why both men were facing two counts of attempted murder, RCMP would only say there had been two targets and never clarified who the second target was.
Campbell was denied bail on Friday by Judge Christine Gagnon after a bail hearing that stretched over two days.
In a relatively rare move on Friday, Gagnon turned down a request by lawyer Gary Wool, who was standing in for Campbell's lawyer, to allow Campbell to leave the prisoner's dock to join him at the defence table.
Campbell, wearing a white dress shirt and glasses, remained in the dock as Gagnon gave her reasons for denying him bail. Those reasons are covered under a publication ban.
Campbell's high profile Edmonton lawyer Brian Beresh made arguments for his client's release during the first day of the bail hearing but was not in court on Friday when Gagnon handed down her decision.
The Crown prosecution had argued that Campbell should not get bail as the community was put at risk by the shooting, as well as a high speed police chase which reached speeds of 100 kilometres an hour. Campbell's parents were both in court for the first day of the hearing. Only his father was there to see Campbell denied bail on Friday. The father declined to comment to Yellowknifer outside court.
Campbell and Paul were charged following the shooting after the vehicle chase through neighbourhood streets in Frame Lake South and Kam Lake. Both suspects are scheduled to be in court on June 30. There is a court order prohibiting the two men from being in contact with each other.
