Crown withdraws murder charge in 2022 Halifax shooting death
The Crown has withdrawn a charge of second-degree murder against a Halifax man in the shooting death of another man last year.
Keishawn Elton Jerius Pride Stephenson, 19, had been charged in the April 2022 death of Simon Morrison in Halifax.
Halifax Regional Police responded to a shooting in the 2400 block of Brunswick Street, near Uniacke Street, on April 16, 2022, at 1:37 a.m. Morrison, 18, was dead when officers arrived.
In March of 2023, Halifax Regional Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Stephenson’s arrest. He was arrested two days later, on March 8, in Markham, Ont.
But Thursday afternoon, the Crown told the court that it was exercising its prerogative to withdraw the charge.
Prior to a preliminary inquiry scheduled last week, the Crown asked the court for an adjournment because of evidence that had come to light before evidence at the preliminary was heard and because of other circumstances in relation to a witness.
The Crown told the judge that since then, after taking a few days following the adjournment to assess the case, they were withdrawing the charge.
Defence lawyer Eugene Tan told the court that Stephenson had no other matters before the court that would hold him in custody, and he was released.
When police announced Stephenson’s arrest, they said the shooting was not a random incident and they were not looking for any other suspects.
Halifax Regional Police spokesman Const. John MacLeod said he didn’t know the current status of the investigation now that the charge has been withdrawn.
At the time, Morrison’s killing was the third shooting death in Halifax in less than a month.
On March 18, at 2:35 a.m., 25-year-old Treyvon Alrick Bradshaw was gunned down in the 2100 block of Gottingen Street and died later in hospital. On March 26, 20-year-old Keezondre Kentrez Smith died after being shot in the 1600 block of Hollis Street at 3:49 a.m.
