A 22-year-old man who is charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting an intruder inside his Milton home over the weekend made a brief appearance in court on Tuesday.
The suspect, identified as Ali Mian, appeared before the Milton Ontario Court of Justice where he was remanded into custody until his next appearance on Thursday.
Mian’s lawyer, Jag Virk, told reporters after the appearance that he intends to request bail on his client’s behalf. However, it is possible that there could be a further delay in a bail hearing being held, as the matter would have to be heard by a Superior Court judge.
Mian has been in custody since his arrest on Sunday.
“He definitely has a right to defend himself and that's going to be his defence,” Virk said. “It was a home invasion. Intruders were in his house. Armed, dangerous. And he protected himself and his mother, that is it.”
Police initially described the shooting as “targeted” but later issued an updated news release which removed that detail while providing further information on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The updated release was issued after Virk put out a statement suggesting that his client “shot at an intruder that broke into his home and attacked his mother” and “shouldn't be charged with murder.”
“Primarily his main concern was that the media was reporting it incorrectly, calling it a targeted shooting. There was no targeted shooting, it was a home invasion. He was protecting himself. He wasn't targeting anybody,” Virk said on Tuesday.
Halton police have said that the investigation into the shooting is ongoing and that detectives are currently looking for information pertaining to three outstanding suspects who fled the scene in a light-coloured Dodge Charger with a sunroof and black wheels.
A second suspect, identified as 20-year-old Romario Clarke, was also arrested at the scene.
He has been charged with one count of break-and-enter and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
