B.C. man pleads guilty to northern Ont. shooting, Crown drops attempted murder charge
A man who admitted to shooting up a home in Greater Sudbury in 2020 over a drug theft pled guilty Wednesday to reduced charges.
Adrian Eppinger, 33, originally faced eight charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault.
Wednesday in a Zoom hearing, Eppinger pled guilty to three charges, including one count each of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, illegal possession of a firearm and simple assault.
Court heard that associates of Eppinger were selling cannabis and using a Sudbury residence to store their product. When about $75,000 in cannabis was stolen, they blamed a Val Caron man.
Eppinger’s associates threatened the man, warning that ‘Superman’ was coming to exact revenge. ‘Superman’ was an alias linked to Eppinger.
“Bro, you can’t deny it forever,” the victim was told.
“Stay away from anyone you care about. We’ll find you, buddy.”
Assistant Crown attorney Kaely Whillans read an agreed statement of facts into the record during the online hearing Wednesday.
Eppinger flew to Toronto from Kelowna, B.C., on April 18, 2020, was picked up and driven to Sudbury.
On April 19, he stayed at a Lorne Street motel. Police tracked his movements after the fact using the GPS tracker in the Ford Fusion his accomplice was driving, as well as cellphone records.
Eppinger’s phone was detected in Garson at 8:20 p.m. on April 19, and on Radar Road at 8:39, just 12 kilometres from the victim’s home.
The phone is tracked at various locations in the city until 3:53 a.m. April 20, when the Ford Fusion is just three kilometres from the victim’s home.
Eppinger got out of the passenger seat and into the back seat just before 4 a.m., firing five shots into the bedroom of the residence, where the victim, his wife and infant child were sleeping. No one was injured.
“Mr. Eppinger fired shots into the home,” Whillans said.
The Ford Fusion made three or four passes outside the home after the shooting and the vehicle then returned to Garson.
In Garson, Eppinger got into another vehicle – a Ford Escape -- drove straight to Milton, Ont., and checked into a hotel. He spent the night and flew back to B.C. the next morning.
He was arrested by the RCMP in Kelowna in February 2021.
Before she pronounced him guilty, Justice Kathleen Cullin asked Eppinger if he had anything to say.
“I have nothing to add, your honour,” he replied.
Cullin formally found him guilty of the three charges. A sentencing date will be set at a hearing April 4.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'For God's sake, stop burning': N.S. premier bans all activity in forests, urges residents to abide by burn ban
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has banned all activity in forests as of Tuesday, and says the wildfire damage is “extensive” and “heartbreaking.”
'We're going to rebuild': Indigenous communities look to recover from devastating wildfires
The East Prairie Métis Settlement is one of several Indigenous communities that were hard-hit by the recent wildfires in Alberta. As the wildfire season rages on, residents and community officials are looking among the ruins, pondering how they’ll recover from all the losses.
North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea
North Korea's attempt to put the country's first spy satellite into space failed Wednesday in a setback to leader Kim Jong Un's push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise.
Police identify engaged couple shot dead after dispute with landlord near Hamilton
A young couple shot and killed after a dispute with their landlord near Hamilton have been identified by police.
B.C. teacher who singled out students over their breasts, bathroom-use suspended for 5 days
A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.
Blue Jays pitcher 'truly sorry' for sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass said he is 'truly sorry' for sharing a controversial anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
Low sexual satisfaction linked to memory decline later in life: study
Low sexual satisfaction in middle age could be linked to future memory decline, according to a new study.
Alberta Premier Smith wants to 'reset' federal-provincial relationship while eyeing sovereignty act
Fresh off leading Alberta's United Conservative Party to a majority victory on Monday night, Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to 'reset' her relationship with the federal government, while readying to invoke the province's sovereignty act over emissions targets, if needed.
U.S. officer shoots at truck driver near N.B. border crossing
Traffic is back up and running through the border crossing between Woodstock, N.B., and Houlton, Maine, after a security scare Monday.
Barrie
-
Magic Mushroom shop in Wasaga Beach forced to close
CTV News has confirmed that a magic mushroom shop in Wasaga Beach has been shut down.
-
With clock ticking, Minden residents take fight to save emergency department to Queen's Park
With just hours to go until the planned closure of their town's emergency department, Minden residents took their fight to save it to Queen's Park.
-
Thick black smoke seen after house fire in Barrie
Thick black smoke filled the sky in downtown Barrie Thursday after a house fire.
Toronto
-
Blue Jays pitcher 'truly sorry' for sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass said he is 'truly sorry' for sharing a controversial anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
-
Police identify engaged couple shot dead after dispute with landlord near Hamilton
A young couple shot and killed after a dispute with their landlord near Hamilton have been identified by police.
-
21 deaths now linked to Kenneth Law's lethal products
The number of deaths connected to the products sold by a Mississauga, Ont. man charged with aiding and abetting suicide continues to climb, hitting at least 21 people, according to tracking by CTV News.
Ottawa
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING | Beware the angry birds near the Rideau Canal
Nesting red-winged blackbirds are back in Ottawa, another sign spring has returned. But people running near the Rideau Canal say they've been hit by a wave of unexpected attacks.
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING | BMO donates $2 million to The Royal to help fund depression treatments
The Royal is receiving $2 million dollars from BMO, in the single-largest corporate gift made to the hospital in its history.
-
Federal government aiming to dispose of half of its office buildings with hybrid work here to stay
The federal government is planning to offload up to half of its office buildings across the country, citing the rise in remote and hybrid work.
Kitchener
-
School bus driver killed in crash near Woodstock, Ont. remembered as 'a phenomenal man'
Elementary students are among those mourning the loss of a school bus driver killed in a double fatal crash near Woodstock, Ont.
-
'It’s devastating': Community in mourning after fatal crash in Oxford County
The Township of East-Zorra Tavistock and the surrounding community are in mourning after a fatal crash took the lives of a police officer and a bus driver.
-
Driver crashes through fences, shed and into a building in Kitchener
Waterloo regional police say officers and paramedics responded to a vehicle that drove through multiple Kitchener backyards and came to rest in a building.
London
-
Pedestrian suffers life-threatening injuries after crash at Victoria Hospital
An investigation is currently underway after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of London, Ont.’s Victoria Hospital on Tuesday night.
-
West London, Ont. house fire causes $100K in damage, snarls evening traffic
Damage is estimated at $100,000 and the whereabouts of a pet cat remains unknown after a fire broke out on a back deck of a west London home on Tuesday evening.
-
VIDEO
VIDEO | 'He did a buck 40 down the shoulder': Driver charged after speeding down shoulder of Highway 401
A 20-year-old driver from Petrolia is facing multiple offences after Elgin County OPP received multiple complaints of a vehicle speeding down the shoulder of Highway 401.
Windsor
-
Multi-vehicle crash closes section of Highway 3 in Kingsville
Essex County OPP say a “lengthy closure” of Highway 3 between Leamington and Essex is expected due to a collision.
-
Victim in 'critical condition' after violent downtown assault: Windsor police
Windsor police say a victim is in critical condition after he was chased and assaulted Saturday by a group of people downtown.
-
OPP officer from Lakeshore mourned by hockey community
Members of the Belle River hockey community say they are in ‘complete disbelief’ over the death of OPP officer with ties to the region.
Montreal
-
5 changes in Quebec's Bill 96 that come into effect June 1
Last year, Quebec’s Bill 96 became law, which brought sweeping changes to the Charter of the French language. Sections of the new law will come into effect on June 1, the one-year anniversary of the bill receiving royal assent.
-
'Deeply troubling': English parents group says it was left out of hearings on Quebec education bill
A parents' group representing students in English-language school boards said it is 'deeply troubling' that it was not invited to participate in public hearings on Quebec's education reform bill.
-
Montreal soccer coach altercation sparks debate about equipping referees with body cameras
A recent altercation at a Montreal soccer game has people wondering whether referees should wear body cameras on the field.
Atlantic
-
'For God's sake, stop burning': N.S. premier bans all activity in forests, urges residents to abide by burn ban
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has banned all activity in forests as of Tuesday, and says the wildfire damage is “extensive” and “heartbreaking.”
-
Wildfire, potential ammonia leak prompts alerts, evacuations in Bedford, N.S.
A wildfire burning in the Hammonds Plains-area near Bedford, N.S., prompted several emergency alerts and evacuations Tuesday night.
-
'There is nothing left': 151 Halifax-area homes destroyed by wildfire
A wildfire in northwest Halifax has destroyed more than 150 homes and about 50 other structures, the municipality’s executive director of public safety said Tuesday at a news conference.
Winnipeg
-
Priest charged in alleged sexual assault of 8-year-old girl on Manitoba First Nation
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
-
Violent crime in Winnipeg reaches highest level in 13 years: report
The number of crimes in Winnipeg increased by more than 25 per cent in 2022, which includes a record number of homicides, a spike in the use of bear spray as a weapon, and an uptick in property crimes.
-
Mayor wants ring of 24/7 shelters around Downtown Winnipeg
Winnipeg's mayor is proposing a plan to create a ring of 24/7 shelters around downtown Winnipeg which he says will help get those experiencing homelessness out of bus shelters and into safe spaces.
Calgary
-
Orange islands in a blue sea: Why Alberta's urban-rural political divide still exists
The electoral map has been recoloured, but Alberta's rural blue hasn't budged an inch.
-
Two Calgary ridings subject to automatic recounts: Elections Alberta
Calgary-Acadia and Calgary-Glenmore, both previously operated by the United Conservative Party are now painted in NDP orange by razor-thin margins.
-
'Somewhat shocked': Criminal lawyer questions use of force in deadly Calgary police pursuit
A prominent criminal lawyer is questioning the use of force in a deadly police pursuit in Calgary on Monday.
Edmonton
-
NDP sweep of Edmonton confirmed; Madu out as minister with fall to Ip in southwest
The Alberta NDP swept the province's capital city for a second time during Monday's provincial election.
-
This MLA-elect is the first Black woman to be elected to the Alberta Legislature
On Monday, Rhiannon Hoyle was elected to the riding of Edmonton-South, making her the first Black woman elected to the Alberta Legislature.
-
What will it take to get a 3rd-party MLA in Alberta? Probably a breakup, consultant says
It's no surprise Alberta's election was a two-horse race, but the rate at which every other party stumbled out of the gate is something not seen in the province in more than 100 years.
Vancouver
-
Putting Surrey Memorial Hospital's ER on diversion may be the only 'responsible recourse,' staff letter says
Frontline health-care workers at Surrey Memorial Hospital say the emergency room should be shut down to new patients if staff shortages continue to create "perilous" conditions for people in need of urgent care.
-
'This has looked like a war zone for years': What's next for Abbotsford’s most dangerous homeless camp?
B.C.'s housing minister promises "big changes" are coming to Abbotsford’s most dangerous homeless camp. But critics aren't buying it, saying the province has known about the notorious encampment for years and done nothing.
-
Vancouver woman alerting dog owners after disturbing discovery
A Vancouver woman is spreading the word after discovering pieces of bread filled with safety pins while walking her dog Tuesday morning near Ontario street and 3rd Avenue.