Not guilty plea for Lethbridge man facing four counts of attempted murder

LETHBRIDGE – A 32-year old man from Lethbridge who is facing a myriad of charges relating to an alleged shooting on the city’s west side back in April, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including four counts of attempted murder.

Robert John Sheppard appeared in court via CCTV Thursday morning (Aug. 9) from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. The trial will be by judge alone, and is expected to last three days. The matter was adjourned until August 23, for either a Pre-Trial Conference to occur that morning, and/or to set a date for trial later that day.

On April 15. around 9 p.m., members of the Lethbridge Police Service tactical team and frontline officers responded to reports of shots being fired at a home. Four people managed to escape safely, and police cordoned off the area and searched the home. They then shifted their attention to the suspect’s residence in Dalhousie Court West, and he was finally located and arrested by the RCMP near Granum, following a pursuit. Police said the matter appeared to be a domestic-violence related incident, adding that the victims knew the suspect.

In addition to the attempted murder charges, Sheppard is also charged with discharging a firearm into a place, resisting arrest, careless use of a firearm, careless storage of a firearm, pointing a firearm, assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession in a vehicle, possession of a weapon obtained by the commission of an offence, and carrying a concealed weapon.