Halifax man committed to stand trial for murder in shooting

A 20-year-old Halifax man has been committed to stand trial on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with ashooting last June in Eastern Passage, N.S.

A Dartmouthprovincial court judge ruledTuesday following a preliminary inquirythere was sufficient evidence to send Rae'heem Downey to trial. The reasons behind the judge's ruling are banned from publication.

Downey had originally been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Jamie Lee Bishop, 21,who was gunned down on Homes Road.

The case will now move to Nova Scotia Supreme Court to begin the process for a judge and jury trial.

Downey is the younger brother of Markel Downey, who's charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ashley MacLean Kearse. She was wounded in a home invasion in Cole Harbour in 2014 and died last year.

Markel Downey initially faced 28 charges in connection with the home invasion but was acquitted at a trial in 2017. That acquittal was overturned on appeal.

Downey's retrial was supposed to begin later this month. But his lawyer appeared before the judge on Monday, asking for a postponement. Pat MacEwen said he plans to step down as Downey's lawyer as soon as a replacement can be found.