By Sheldon Spackman

July 18, 2022

Preliminary hearing set for men charged in central Alberta shooting

Mar 4, 2022 | 10:15 AM

Two men charged in a central Alberta shooting last year that sent one man to hospital with life-threatening injuries will find out later this summer if their case has enough evidence to go to trial.

William Edgar Littlechild, 23, from the Ermineskin Cree Nation, and Zachary Dre Bishop Potts, 27, of Wetaskiwin, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Wetaskiwin provincial court on July 18, 2022.

The pair was charged following an incident on Dec. 5, 2021, when at approximately 3:00 a.m., Maskwacis RCMP were dispatched to a rural residence on the Samson Cree Nation after receiving information that a male had been shot.

Upon arrival, police located the male suffering from a severe gunshot wound. Mounties say the male was treated on scene by EMS and then transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. Witnesses identified two suspects who fled the scene prior to police arriving.

Members of the Maskwacis General Investigation Section (GIS) took over the investigation and identified two suspects. Over the next 72 hours, Maskwacis GIS along with members of the Wetaskiwin RCMP, Wetaskiwin Police Dog Services (PDS), and Red Deer Forensic Identification Services (FIS) would locate and arrest the two suspects.

Last seen March 31

Missing: Eugenie Headman, 66, of Maskwacis

20h ago

mayor hopes to meet housing minister this month

Alberta demands Ottawa back off on housing funding stripped from Red Deer

Apr 02, 2026

Last seen Jan. 15

Missing: Courtney Cattleman, 17, of Maskwacis

Apr 02, 2026

Littlechild and Potts wereboth charged with attempted murder with a firearm, break and enter, uttering threats, and assault.

Littlechild was also charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowing possession is unauthorized, and three counts of fail to comply with a release order.

Littlechild was also arrested on outstanding warrants out of Maskwacis and the Wetaskiwin RCMP for various weapons offences. Potts also faces an additional count of unauthorized possession of a firearm.