New Brunswick·NewSaint John police have charged a third man with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in the city’s north end last month.Mackenzie Moir, 25, is accused in death of John Robert Beshara, 41Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Mackenzie Moir appeared in Saint John provincial court by video from federal custody Wednesday. (Roger Cosman/CBC)Saint John police have charged a third man with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in the city’s north end last month.Mackenzie Moir, 25, is a federal parolee who was allegedly unlawfully at large from a halfway house at the time of the incident, Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler said Wednesday.On Oct. 20, shortly after 12:15 a.m., police responded to a 911 call involving a weapon in the area of Taylor Avenue.There they found an unconscious man with serious injuries, Fowler said in a news release at the time.John ‘Robert’ Beshara, 41, was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. He suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his “upper” body, Staff Sgt. Sarah Hobbs told CBC News.On Tuesday, the major crime unit charged Moir with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm while prohibited, Fowler said.Arrested on Canada-wide warrantThe Oromocto RCMP had arrested Moir on Oct. 23, she said. He was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching the conditions of his statutory release by failing to return to Parrtown Community Correctional Centre in Saint John.Moir is a first-time federal offender serving a sentence of about four years and seven months for discharging a firearm with intent, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and obstructing a peace officer, police said at the time.On Wednesday, Moir appeared in Saint John provincial court by video from federal custody. He is scheduled to return to court Dec. 1.His co-accused, Kieren Lopez, 36, and Hunter Floyd, 35, are also scheduled to return to court that day.Saint John Police Force Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler announced the third arrest in the case Wednesday. (Submitted by Shawna Fowler)They both appeared briefly in court by video from custody Tuesday but are still sorting through some legal aid issues, the court heard. They, too, remain in custody.In addition to first-degree murder, Lopez is charged with possession of a firearm while prohibited and breach of a probation order.Victim had ‘fierce spirit’ and ‘big heart’Early in the investigation, police said they believed the shooting to be an isolated incident, but no other details have been released.Beshara, a father of two, “lived his life with a fierce spirit and a big heart,” according to his obituary.John ‘Robert’ Beshara, 41, is survived by his two sons and their mother, his mother, two brothers and several extended family members, according to his obituary. (Rob Beshara/Facebook)”He had a deep love for rock music and tattoos, and most of all, he adored his two sons … who were his proudest accomplishment and the light of his life,” it says.Beshara “had a way of making people feel seen and understood, and his presence filled every room he entered.”Those who knew him, the obituary says, will remember his “strength, [humour], and loyalty.”Investigation continuesOn Oct. 20, around 4 p.m., the major crime unit, with the assistance of the street crime integrated enforcement unit, arrested a 36-year-old suspect in Beshara’s death inside a business on University Avenue.On Oct. 27, around 12:20 p.m, police arrested a 35-year-old suspect in the area of Richmond Street.Police were initially looking into “another incident” that occurred Oct. 20 at about 12:35 a.m. on Foster Thurston Drive, which they believed to be connected and had asked people to check their security cameras for any possible video.A vehicle struck a deer and the occupants fled the scene, Hobbs told CBC. “At the time it was believed that this vehicle was involved in the incident,” she said in an email.The investigation continues.
3rd man charged with 1st-degree murder in Saint John shooting
