Accused bar shooter arraigned
WARREN — The man accused of shooting another man in the face outside the Hideaway Lounge in Niles on April 15 pleaded not guilty Wednesday during his arraignment hearing before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald Rice.
Brandon J. Leech, 26, has been charged with attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault in the shooting of Lawrence William Saunders, 49, during an argument behind the bar. Leech’s attorney, Candace C. Garrett, attempted to get his bond reduced from $1 million, but the motion was rejected by Rice.
According to a police report, a bar worker told police when he took out the trash, he saw one man shoot another in the face in the parking lot. The witness said he didn’t know either the shooter or the victim, but he heard them arguing just prior to hearing a gunshot, the report states.
Leech’s pre-trial hearing is scheduled June 13 before Judge W. Wyatt McKay.