Saint John police use security cameras to trace path of murder suspect minutes after shooting

A series of Crown witnesses helped piece together what police believe was the path of Zakkary Hyulett Reed after he allegedly shot a man inside a King Street East apartment on Aug. 20, 2023. 

Reed, 31, is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of Alexander Bishop, 38. 

On Friday, the jury heard from Det. Const. James Boyles, who led them through a series of security camera footage collected by police during their investigation. 

The video montage shows an individual in dark clothing moving along several city streets before getting into a taxi and being driven to a residence in the north end. 

Boyles said the images match the description of Reed, who was very quickly described as a suspect in the shooting death of Bishop. 

The 13-member jury previously heard that the 911 call was made at 5:39 a.m. from 170 King St. East.

The first video was taken from a camera at 160 King St. East at 5:38 a.m. and showed a man wearing a black ball cap, black hoodie and shorts and carrying a beige-coloured backpack.

In a span of about eight minutes, a series of cameras capture what appears to be the same person's exact route to an apartment building at 181 Charlotte St. 

Security cameras from inside the vestibule of the building clearly show Reed pulling hard at the locked door. The video then jumps to Reed inside the lobby of the building, getting into the elevator. 

Sara O'Leary testified that Reed showed up at her apartment at 181 Charlotte early that morning. She said she later ushered him out. 

From there, Crown and defence agreed that Reed approached a man who was having a smoke nearby and asked him to call him a cab. 

That cab driver then testified that he picked Reed up on Sydney Street near Calvary Temple and took him to 13 Main St. North, where Const. Tyler Smith was already watching the residence. White testified he saw Reed get out of the cab and go into the building shortly after 7 a.m. 

The jury also saw a video from inside the cab. It showed Reed's entire cab ride — and even showed blood on his hands as he paid for the ride with a card. 

Shotgun found in back alley

The jury also heard how the alleged murder weapon was found by police. 

Const. Jennifer Bergeron testified Friday morning that she was one of several officers protecting the crime scene at 170 King St. East in the hours after the shooting. 

She said she went around the back of the building to check for other access points and at 8:41 a.m. found a shotgun lying on the ground near a three-foot-high brick wall that she jumped up on and walked along.

That gun was entered into evidence and shown to the jurors on Friday morning. 

So far, the jury has heard testimony from 18 witnesses, including Hanna Graham. 

Graham described Reed as her ex-boyfriend and best friend. She said she and Bishop were doing drugs together in a back room of Aptartment 3 when Reed walked into the room and shot Bishop once in the chest with a shotgun. 

Bishop was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later when paramedics arrived.