N.S. man allegedly shot at the ground in front of all-terrain vehicles: ‘What are you doing, you’re crazy, put the gun away’

When three men drove their all-terrain vehicles past a home in Little Dyke, Colchester County, late last summer, it seemed like the occupant was upset with them.

They’d gone out for a rip towards the beach more than an hour before sunset because they were bored.

William Bowers, Kenneth Bowers and Shawn Alexander later told Mounties the fellow accosted them Aug. 27, 2023, in front of a home on Glenholme Marsh Road.

“A male was outside the residence with his arms in the air, like he was mad at them,” William Bowers later told police, according to a search warrant application in the case.

‘What was that about?’

According to Alexander, after they passed him, “they stopped and asked each other, ‘what was that about?’”

When they drove past the same building again, which looks like a grey lighthouse tower with a deck and a porch, the same man appeared to be walking in the road and holding something.

William Bowers thought the man was carrying a stick, RCMP Const. Adrian Solarino wrote in information to obtain a warrant filed at Truro provincial court.

“He thought the male’s intention was for them to stop,” the investigator said, noting that’s what they did about a metre away from the man.

“The male shot at the ground approximately two feet in front of them.”

‘Saw and felt the dirt fly’

William Bowers “saw and felt the dirt fly up around him,” before yelling, “What are you doing, you’re crazy, put the gun away.”

He described the firearm as long and skinny, with a black barrel and dark brown stock.

“Do you know whose property this is?” the gunman asked the trio, before starting to load another round into the shotgun.

The three men took off, Solarino said, noting William Bowers “did not hear or see a second shot.”

William Bowers had seen the man before and knew he “was active on the local community Facebook page and posted pictures/complaints about ATVs in the area.”

‘He was very scared’

Kenneth Bowers told Mounties that after he heard the shot, he turned to see the gun pointing at him.

“He was very scared,” Solarino said.

The gunman was wearing a blue T-shirt, grey shorts and flip-flops, Alexander told police, noting he thought the firearm was possibly a single-shot shotgun.

“He heard a second shot as they were leaving,” Solarino said.

‘High-risk response’

When Colchester County RCMP responded to the 7 p.m. call, they “conducted a high-risk response in which all occupants of the residence were ordered outside,” said the investigator.

A man matching their suspect’s description walked out of the home on Glenholme Marsh Road. Police determined he was the only person inside and arrested Jeffrey Higgins, 48, on the spot.

“Mr. Higgins confirmed that he legally owned a shotgun, and that it was inside his residence,” Solarino said.

The investigator convinced a justice of the peace to grant a search warrant for the home and an outbuilding. Police seized a Cooey 84 shotgun, ammunition and a firearms licence belonging to Higgins that same night.

A dozen charges

Higgins is facing a dozen firearm-related charges, all with an offence date of Aug. 27, 2023.

He was released the day after the alleged shooting on the promise to stay away from weapons and the three men he’s accused of shooting toward.

Higgins has a pre-trial conference scheduled for Feb. 14, and a trial slated for March 28 in Truro provincial court. He doesn’t have any previous convictions in Nova Scotia.