EDMONTON – The trial for Travis Baumgartner, the man accused of killing three of his co-workers and injuring a fourth during a robbery at the University of Alberta’s HUB Mall, is set to start on Monday morning.
Baumgartner, 22, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and four counts of robbery with a firearm.
Police say he was one of five G4S guards reloading an ATM at the U of A’s HUB Mall in the early morning hours of June 15, 2012 when shots were fired.
Thirty-five-year-old Brian Ilesic, 39-year-old Eddie Rejano, and 26-year-old Michelle Shegelski died at the scene.
Matthew Schuman was shot in the head and taken to hospital. He was transferred out of intensive care later that month.
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Baumgartner was arrested less than 48-hours after the shooting when he tried to cross the Canada-U.S. border near Abbotsford, B.C. He had about $334,000 in a backpack when he was arrested.
While being held in custody in Langley, B.C., police said Baumgartner was cooperating with investigators.
The president of security company G4S Canada has also said it will conduct an internal investigation.
During his first court appearance on June 21, 2012, a no contact condition was put on Baumgartner. He was ordered not to call or contact a long list of people who could serve as potential witnesses, including his mother, friends, G4S employees, and the sole survivor, Schuman.
“On behalf of the Crown,” said Chief Crown Prosecutor Steven Bilodeau during the first appearance, “we want to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims for this horrible incident that happened… I also want to express that the detectives in the homicide section of EPS have put together a very compelling case.”
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Bilodeau said he would personally prosecute Baumgartner given the high profile nature of the case.
Baumgartner is being represented by criminal defence lawyer Peter Royal.
In August, Alberta Justice said Baumgartner requested the trial be heard by judge alone – not a jury – and the Crown consented. At that same time, the three weeks set aside for the trial was reduced to one week.
With files from The Canadian Press
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