Man charged with murder in fatal Evergreen shooting accused of assault, gun offences 2 weeks earlier

Two weeks before he allegedly shot and killed a Calgary woman as she sat in the front seat of her car with her husband, a Sherwood Park man is accused of committing nine offences, including assault with a weapon, pointing a firearm and possession of a prohibited firearm, court documents reveal.

On Aug. 18, Nakita Baron, 31, was fatally shot in her Bentley in the southwest Calgary community of Evergreen. Her husband, Talal Fouani, 46, was also shot but survived and remains in hospital. CBC News has learned that Fouani was out on bail awaiting trial on organized crime charges.

On Friday, Calgary police laid charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder against Michael Tyrel Arnold, 34, who was arrested by Edmonton police for the Evergreen shooting. 

In 2020, Arnold was charged with second-degree murder stemming from a 2019 homicide of a 45-year-old man in Edmonton. That charge was stayed after a preliminary hearing in November 2020, but it is not known why.

In early August police laid the assault and firearms charges but could not locate Arnold. Warrants were issued for his arrest, according to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service.

Arnold remained at large until he was arrested on Aug. 25 on the first-degree murder charge.

The accused killer's past convictions tell the story of a drug trafficker with a history of breaching court conditions who was also subject to a lifetime firearms ban.

In 2018, a 2½-year sentence was imposed after Arnold was convicted of trafficking. In 2014, Arnold was handed a four-year sentence for drug trafficking and evading police.

Arnold remains in custody and will be back in court in September. 

In a statement to CBC News, Fouani's family said they are grateful for police efforts in investigating the shooting that killed Baron and sent her husband to hospital in life-threatening condition.

"This has taken an immense toll on our family. The passing of Ms. Baron is a tragedy. We lost an important member of our family and we are heartbroken," the statement said.