Saint John shooting victim's wound 'incompatible with life,' paramedic testifies

Medical witnesses told a jury in Saint John that Alexander Bishop's wound was not survivable. 

Advanced-care paramedic George Scott testified Thursday at the first-degree murder trial of Zakkary Hyulett Reed. He said he was one of three paramedics who responded to the 911 call early on Aug. 20, 2023. 

He said a colleague cut Bishop's shirt open to reveal the wound. Scott said he determined the injury was "not compatible with life … and that resuscitation would be futile." 

The pathologist who did Bishop's autopsy the day after his death told the jury the wound in Bishop's upper chest measured about four by five centimetres and resulted in "significant" blood loss.

Dr. Mohammad Hossain said humans have an average of five litres of blood in their bodies. Bishop had about 2.5 litres of blood pooled in his chest cavity, plus an unknown amount of blood that poured out of the wound at the scene. 

Based on gunpowder residue that was visible around the wound, a picture of which was shown to the jury on Thursday afternoon, Hossain called it a "close-contact gunshot wound." 

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Annie Maltais, Hossain said he wasn't able to say exactly how far away the gun was, but estimated it was within "a foot."

Hossain also explained the results of a toxicology report based on blood samples taken from Bishop. According to the autopsy report, a copy of which was entered by the Crown as evidence, the toxicology report revealed Bishop "had consumed cocaine, amphetamine and fentanyl related products," including drugs commonly called ecstasy and meth. 

The jury also heard more testimony from Hanna Graham, who told the jury on Tuesday that she was standing beside Bishop when he was shot. She also identified Reed as the shooter. 

She said Reed, whom she described as an ex-boyfriend and her best friend, "was anxious and seemed not himself at all" leading up to the shooting.

She said Reed and Bishop had gotten into an argument about 15 to 20 minutes before the shooting. 

She and Bishop had been in a back room together, doing acid, meth and fentanyl together, she said.

Under cross-examination, Graham said the door to the room they were in may not have been closed, as she had previously stated, because she remembered the dogs, Mase and Diamond, running around.  

Maltais asked Graham if she remembered the much-larger Bishop taking a fighting stance with his fists raised and asking Reed, "You want to go, bud?"