P.E.I. man who triggered shelter-in-place warning in Summerside now facing 20 charges
Mitchell Lannigan, 28, appeared in court in Prince County on Tuesday
A Prince Edward Island man who police say fired off a gun near a community event, shot and killed a dog days later and eventually triggered an emergency alert in Summerside is now facing 20 charges.
Mitchell Thomas Lannigan, 28, has been in custody since he was arrested two weeks ago. He's appeared in court three times since then — including twice for bail hearings that didn't go ahead.
At an appearance before a justice of the peace in Summerside on Tuesday, Lannigan's lawyer told the court that the defence is working with the Crown to resolve the matter swiftly — possibly as early as this week.
No pleas have been entered on any of the charges.
Court documents list an address for Lannigan in Kings County, but all of his alleged crimes took place in Prince County.
P.E.I. RCMP had previously laid seven charges against Lannigan in connection with an alleged incident that happened in Miminegash in the early hours of July 19.
Police said Lannigan got into a fight with two other men in a parking lot not far from where the annual Miminegash Days community event was taking place.
Lannigan allegedly drew a gun and fired off shots. Police have said these were seemingly not directed at any individual.
Lannigan then fled the scene. While RCMP closed a road in an attempt to arrest him, he remained at large until early in the morning on July 23.
RCMP said they were called to a residence in Tyne Valley after Lannigan allegedly shot a dog there that later died. For that, he's been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Lannigan left that scene as well, and wasn't spotted again until his vehicle was seen heading into Summerside at high speeds.
Summerside's police chief said officers did not pursue at the time out of public safety concerns, but police later issued an emergency alert asking residents to shelter in place.
The alert characterized Lannigan as an "armed and dangerous individual" as he was believed to be moving through the city on foot.
He was later arrested by two RCMP officers on a kayak. Witnesses told CBC News that Lannigan first entered the water on a kayak he took from a residence and was then pursued by officers who borrowed kayaks from the same homeowner.
17 firearms charges
Lannigan now faces 20 charges for the events over those two days. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
17 of the charges are firearms offences, including careless use, improper storage and tampering with a serial number.
Police said they seized a handgun on the day Lannigan was arrested in Summerside.
Handguns sales, transfers and purchases have been halted since 2022 due to a "national freeze" that was later wrapped into Bill C-21 when it passed in 2023.
Three of the charges also allege that Lannigan was banned from owning firearms due to a previous court order.
He also faces three non-firearms charges: an assault for the alleged fight in Miminegash, breaching a previous probation order and endangering animals connected to the alleged shooting of the dog.
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