James Primeau lived for months after being shot in the throat. Preston Bird's charges have now been upgraded to first degree murder. (Image Credit: submitted/GoFundMe)
Court Proceedings
Charge upgraded to first-degree murder for man accused of killing landlord
Sep 16, 2026 | 3:18 PM
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Preston Ray Bird is now facing a first-degree murder charge after the man he is accused of shooting died earlier this year.
Bird, 25, was originally charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and other firearm-related offences after Jim Primeau, 59, was shot in the throat June 4, 2025, in Prince Albert’s West Flat neighbourhood.
Primeau spent 287 days in hospital after the shooting and was left paralyzed from the neck down. He died earlier this year on March 18.
At the time of the shooting, Primeau was removing the belongings of a woman he had evicted for not paying rent from a property he owned in the 1900 block of 14th Street West. Police have previously said the suspect fled the scene on a bike.
